Persona 4 the Femfiction
by Chabad
Summary: Every choice we make kills a thousand others... But it brings a thousand five hundred more to life. updates will be few and far between. Sorry.
1. Prelude

_Life is a set of choices._

_From the moment we exit the womb, we are thrown into a world with a million different possibilities at out fingertips._

_Some people receive more options than others._

_Some people would rather have fewer options._

_Some people would rather have more._

_Some humans get no choices at all… discarded like so much ceramic at birth or even before birth._

_And some people have their options taken away from them… an injury, a mistake… death._

_But every choice made is another rock in the stream… a stream that must be crossed…_

_Some stones can be lost without penalty, or with a slight loss._

_But some stones cannot be retrieved, and some, if misplaced, come with the worst of penalties._

_So place your stones well, and your path shall be safe._

_Place them poorly… and you will suffer the consequences._

_For at the end of your life, you will not only be expected to have made a path across the stream…_

_But to be able to go across it again._

_Woe to he who builds with another's stones, only to find that he is denied repassage, and him from whom he stole is granted his path._

_One stone in the stream of life can change everything._

_This is a fact all life must face._

_And so it came to be that a round stone took the place of a rectangular one…_

_A woman took the place of a man._

_But it was planned to be so since the river first flowed…_

_The way of men is not the way of God…_

_So says he who speaks in riddles… and has fought with himself…_

_And has won…_

Persona 4 the Femfiction

Written by Chabad

Beta-read by EmperorArcana

Persona is owned by the creators of Shin Megami Tensei: Atlus

This is a fanfiction. All resemblance of characters or events to real-life characters or events is either coincidental or symbolic.

_Let's begin, shall we?_

Bonds of love are the true power.


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to Inaba!

Author's Note: Thank you to EmperorArcana, who beta-read this.

-...-

"The 6:30 train to Inaba will be leaving in five minutes," said the voice on the station's loudspeaker.

A lone girl, who had been sitting on a bench, stood up and stepped on the train. She moved past the other passengers to the first and relatively spacious car where she would be sitting for her long trip. Placing her last pieces of Tokyo in her souvenir bag, she put her belongings on the shelf and waited for the train to leave.

"Last call to board the 6:30 train to Inaba! Last call..."

A young man wearing dark glasses and carrying a thin white staff scurried up to the doors urgently. It seemed he was blind, and it took him longer to move around when he pulled his bag and traced the floor ahead of him at the same time. He was accompanied by another teen, who looked to be his brother. The brother was trying to pick up his blind sibling's bag for him, but the older would have none of it.

"Hold the door!" They barely made it on the train before the doors closed and the train started moving.

They argued and laughed for a second before entering onto the car she was in.

After the train pulled out of the station and Tokyo out of sight, the girl's face fell, and she stared out the window wistfully. _How many times have I had to change schools? I'm kind of getting sick of it, to be honest. And I wish my parents weren't always off on some business trip or another._ She sighed. _Well, at least I'll have a chance to make some more friends… Friends I'll lose at the end of the year._

She looked aimlessly toward the Americans… they were Americans, because they spoke English and one had an international exchange student flag pin on him. She had heard that Americans tended to be noisy, especially American boys, but they didn't seem to act the same way. The brothers were quietly chatting in English or laughing about videos on their phones. They ended up sitting most of the ride with surprising silence given how they'd mucked up getting on board.

Soon getting bored of scrutinizing the surprisingly tame exchange students, she drifted off to sleep as the hours dragged on.

-…-

A blue car traveled across a foggy road. Although very elegant and valuable-looking, this car looked like it had been traveling for some time.

A young woman in blue registrar gear sat on a couch inside the specially made vehicle. However, the man who appeared to be in charge sat in front of a small coffee table, his head resting on his hands.

He looked up. "Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny." He chuckled. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Igor displayed the Velvet Room with a wave. "This place exists between dream and reality… mind and matter. It is a room only those who are bound by a 'contact' may enter… It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Across the car was the girl from the train. She had long grey hair and matching eyes, looking very pretty, but confused as to why she was in the car.

"Y-Yui Narukami…"

Igor nodded. "Hmm… I see." He pulled out a strange, blue deck of cards. "Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?"

Yui shifted in discomfort.

The dwarven man grinned. "Do you believe in fortune telling?" He passed his hand over the table, and six cards flew out from on top of the deck into a hexagonal position. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…" Another chuckle. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

He flipped over the card closest to him. "The tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is…" Igor flipped over another card. "The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents _hesitation_ and _mystery_… very interesting indeed." He looked up with a wide grin that poorly matched the reading he just gave. "It seems you will encounter a great misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the following days, you will enter a contract of some sort, after which you will return here."

Now Igor became very serious and stared at Yui directly. "The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to assure that does not happen."

He waved his hand over the table, and the cards disappeared.

"Ah!" Igor snapped his fingers. "I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you."

He held his hand to indicate the woman sitting to the right of him. "This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

The woman in blue nodded. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey," she said curtly.

Igor looked back at Yui. "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell…"

Yui stood up. "Wait! I need to ask some-"

And then the train hit a bump, killing her thought and the dream.

-…-

"Gah!"

The transfer girl woke up with a start. The Americans were sleeping like lumps, and did not seemed to be affected in the slightest by her outburst. She thought she saw one of them drooling, too.

She sighed and looked at the darkened window, drifting back to sleep.

**Episode 1: Welcome to Inaba!**

_Courage- Average_

_Knowledge- Informed_

_Expression- Rough_

_Understanding- Basic_

_Diligence- Callow_

Soon after she woke again, the train was nearing the station. Yi walked off of the train and into the small rural town. She was looking around when a man called out to her.

"Hey! Over here!"

The grey-haired girl turned to face the speaker. He was tall, gruff, and had an unshaven face.

"Are you Yui Narukami?"

She nodded.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryotaro Dojima, and this is my daughter, Nanako."

There was a small girl with brunette ponytails quivering behind Dojima.

Yui nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

Dojima laughed. "There's no need to be so formal between family, right?" He thought for a second. "Umm… I'll be taking care of you while you stay here in Inaba for the year… I'm your mother's younger brother… and that about sums it up." The girl behind him cowered further behind his legs when she saw how tall the visitor was. Ryotaro tried to pull Nanako out to say hello. "Nanako, stop hiding and meet your cousin!" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Nanako can be really shy."

The smaller girl peeked out from behind Ryotaro. "Hmm?" Her eyes lit up. "Yay! I always wanted a big sister!" She ran up and hugged Yui around the legs.

Dojima looked surprised. "Nanako, that's a bit fast to be hugging someone you were just hiding from!" He smiled, chuckling. "Anyway, this is Yui. She'll be staying here the whole year."

Nanako looked up and smiled. Yui softly removed Nanako from her legs and bent down. "Hi, it's nice to meet you, too."

Nanako hopped up and down. "I never had a Big Sister before! Are you going to be my Big Sister?"

Yui gave Nanako a puzzled look. "I, uhm, why not?"

Her new little sister's face lit up. "Yay! We can play dollies and talk about Junes and go looking for shells at the lake."

Dojima looked like he was about to have an allergic reaction. "C'mon, let's head home."

They walked to the car, Nanako smiling and skipping while Ryotaro and Yui looked like they needed some sleep.

-…-

"Hold on, I've gotta stop for gas." Dojima pulled over into a MOEL gas station, and cut the gas.

Nanako hopped out. "Can I go to the bathroom?"

Ryotaro nodded. "Sure." Yui stepped outside to look around.

A gas station attendant stepped up. "Hey, what's a cute girl like you doing out here in the sticks?" Yui's eyebrows quirked upward in shock. "I guess you're in high school, right?"

Yui nodded, feeling an uncomfortable aura from the attendant.

"Well, there's not much out here to do, so you'll either be hanging out with your friends or taking part-time jobs. Speaking of which, we're actually looking for part-time work. It doesn't matter if you're a student."

"I'll remember that," Yui said. She shrugged off her discomfort and put on a smile for the attendant.

"Care to shake hands?" The attendant held out his hand in welcome. But something just wasn't right…

Yui took his hand tentatively, and they shook. Ryotaro came back and glared at the attendant. "There's no need for you to hit on my niece. It's her first day here." The gas station attendant stepped back and grinned sheepishly.

"I guess I should be getting back to work."

"I guess…" Dojima grumbled.

When Yui got back in the car, Nanako looked at her and frowned. "You don't look so good. Did something happen?"

Ryotaro waved off Nanako. "Yui's probably just tired, right?" He looked at his niece.

"Yeah… I'm just a little tired…" Yui leaned back and closed her eyes, napping all the way to the house.

Upstairs in her new bedroom, the new resident of the Dojima household was unpacking her stuff when she came upon a familiar piece of clothing; her old uniform blazer from her school in Tokyo. The memory of her last day flooded her brain.

_"I'm sorry to have to say this, but Yi is going to be transferring to Inaba for the next year due to the fact that her parents have overseas work."_

She closed the box quickly and sat down on her sofa, feeling bittersweet reminiscence about her old school.

"_Aw, man!"_

She just wanted to forget.

"_But she just got here this year!"_

Forget about her friends she lost.

"_Already?"_

The enemies she had made.

"_Good riddance."_

The friendships left unfinished.

"_We'll miss you."_

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "So I'm stuck here for an entire year?"

Closing her eyes, she fell asleep fell asleep for the third time that day.

-…-

There was a dream world, filled with smoke. Only one of Yui's eyes cracked open. She could see a shadowy figure.

"_Do you wish to find the truth?"_

She tried to open her eyes. "A-a dream?"

"_Then come, chase it."_

"Who..?" Her mind became blank again.

-…-

Next Day: Tuesday, April 12

Yasogami High School

Morning

"Sit down and shut up, you brats!" a nasally voice shrieked from the front of the room. A grump of a teacher led Yui to her new homeroom, eying all of the students like a warden watches prisoners. The class slowly came to silence, and Mr. Mooroka stood at his desk, signaling the new girl to write her name on the board.

"So, we have a new transfer student here." He snorted and glared her down. "Your name?"

"Yui Narukami."

"Good. Sit down!" He grumbled. "Damn brats. This isn't like your fancy city school. We have rules here."

Stunned by the bluntness of the order, Yui tapped her feet together and scooted toward the desks slowly.

"Well? Sit down! We don't have all day, you know!"

Yui jumped up and quickly paced toward an empty desk, face colored crimson from humiliation. However, before she could choose one, a girl with short brown hair in a green long-sleeve coat motioned for Yui to sit next to her. She obliged and put her backpack on the ground.

The brunette leaned toward Yui with a sarcastic grimace. "We call him King Moron. Isn't he gawd-awful?"

"Shut yer trap! I heard that!" Mr. Mooroka chucked a piece of chalk at the short-haired girl. He sighed and then slammed his hand on his desk. "I'm calling roll, so listen up!"

As the irritating teacher yammered on, the girl poked Yui one more time. "By the way, my name's Chie Satonaka. Just thought I'd let you know."

-…-

Five minutes after the excruciating homeroom roll call had been completed, the announcement loudspeaker rang on. "There has been an accident on school property. Please stay calm and evacuate the school."

Yui was putting her things in her backpack when Chie walked up to her.

"Hey, Narukami-chan! How about we walk together? It's just kinda creepy with the accident and all, so nobody should have to walk alone."

"Yeah." A dark-haired girl walked up behind the brunette. Satonaka stepped aside to introduce her. "This is Yukiko Amagi. She and I have been friends for a long time, so she'll also be walking with us."

Yukiko nodded. "I…mean… if you don't mind."

Chie looked miffed. "Yukiko, you don't have to apologize!"

Yukiko shifted uncomfortably. "Oh… I'm sorry…"

"Yukiko!" Chie sighed, shaking her head.

From the door, a very tense-looking boy with untidy auburn hair called out to Chie, holding out a DVD case."Hey! Satonaka! Thanks for letting me borrowing this!" He tossed it to her and started to quickly move for the exit once more. "It was great! Now, if you'd let me leave-"

"Not so fast!" Chie tripped him on the way out. "What the hell? It's totally cracked! My _Trial of the Dragon!"_ She moaned, looking at the struggling boy on the ground. "Yosuke!" She glared at him fiercely.

Yosuke groaned an apology from the ground. "Please have mercy... l'll compensate you next time my paycheck comes through…"

Yukiko bent down to look at him, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"He's fine, Yukiko! Stupid Yosuke!" Chie kicked him again on the way out. Yui glanced back, slightly worried, but simply decided to leave him be.

-…-

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: I Art Thou**

"_I art thou…"_

"_Your hand went in!"_

"_I'm gonna pee my pants!"_

"_Help!"_

"NARUKAMI!"

_"PERSONA!"_


	3. Chapter 2: I Art Thou

Chie, Yukiko, and Yi were chatting eagerly on the way back.

"So you're from Tokyo? Yosuke is too! He just came in six months ago." Chie thought for a second and asked, "Hey, you don't know him, do you? Like from a past school or something?"

Yi shook her head. "Nope. Never heard of him."

"Aw, but that would have been so awesome… Ah well, Yosuke isn't worth knowing anyway…"

A bicycle flew by in a flash. "!" Yosuke screamed.

And then he crashed into a trash can. Again.

-sweat-

"Serves you right." Chie sniffed.

**Episode 2: I Art Thou**

_Courage- Average_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Rough_

_Understanding- Basic_

_Diligence- Callow_

"Why is it always me?" the slacker groaned.

This time, Yi decided to hold out an arm to Yosuke. "C'mon, get up, you little baby."

Yosuke gratefully accepted the help up, struggling to his feet and then clapping Yi on the shoulder.

"You know, just for that, I think I'm going to treat you to the town's delicacy: steak. It's so lame it fits in with the rest of the town, but it _is_ good enough for a bite to eat."

-#!-

Chie blew up. "What the hell? You don't have the money to buy a freaking DVD, but you have enough money to ask a girl you just met out on a date?"

"A date? Hell no!"

-!-

Then he realized his blunder. "W-w-w-w-wait! I mean, she's not a bad girl, but I hardly know her! Why would I date her?"

"For the same reason that you buy her steak?" Chie poked her friend's forehead. "Isn't it obvious?"

"I-I'm not like that!" Yi could tell that was a half-lie right away. It didn't take a genius to guess Yosuke's intentions.

"Sure you're not… Just like you wouldn't ask out the twenty other girls you flirt with."

"The steak is just a reward for helping me out when nobody else did. Like _you_ didn't."

"Anyway, you still owe me for _Trial of the Dragon_!"

"That's besides the point…"

As they continued arguing, Yukiko pulled at Yi's sleeve. "Let's go."

Yi blinked. "But they…"

"They always argue like that. Let's go."

Yukiko started walking away. Yi looked at Yosuke and Chie one more time and then started running after the girl in red. _I swear… people here…_

After walking a while, Yukiko and Yi were approached by a fairly creepy boy with short black hair. "Hey, Yukiko-san, do you want to go get something to eat?"

Yukiko shook her head. "No thanks. My friend and I are just walking home."

The boy's eyes darted around, as if looking for someone. Satisfied by their relative isolation, he nervously continued pressing for a positive. "Are you sure? I mean, I'll pay for it and everything."

Yukiko's eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "No, thank you. I don't want to go out to eat right now."

She tried to continue walking, but the boy moved in front of them.

-!-

"You know, Yuki-chan, you can't just keep rejecting guys." Yukiko and Yi stepped back.

Yukiko seemed to sense the danger of the situation, and continued to retreat very slowly. "Sorry, but I-I really just want to go home. M-my family usually has extra work and… Uh…"

"I think you're lying, Yuki-chan…"

"Um… I…" Yukiko's eyes were darting around for an escape route. "I… really… Eh…"

Seeing Yukiko's discomfort and the increasing boldness of the boy, Yi stepped in front of the creeper and shoved him in the chest. "Leave her alone, will you?" she cried. "She just told you twice that she doesn't want to go out with you. What's wrong with you?"

-#!-

The boy stumbled back, gaped angrily, and then stomped forward, roaring, "Get out of my way!" His face turned red, and raised an arm to hit Yi. Yukiko whimpered and held up her bookbag as a shield, while Yi braced her arms above her shoulders. Suddenly, a large person approached from behind the creeper, stopping him mid-strike. "What's going on here?"

-!-

Yi looked up and saw the blind American from the train. He had the flag pin on his right uniform collar and stood about half a head taller than the boy he hovered over. "Well?"

Turning around, angrily, the creeper sneered, "Buzz off-" before swallowing and stepping back. He instantly saw that the American stood two decimeters taller than him, looked ten kilos heavier, and carried a blindman's staff that appeared heavy enough to do some serious damage. Realizing he was not going to win a confrontation whether or not his foe was blind, the smaller student unclenched his fist, muttered a quick apology, and brushed past the larger boy toward the shopping district. The American looked puzzled. "Did something happen?"

Yukiko sighed in relief, but quickly recomposed herself. "No… not really. Thank you for your concern, though."

The boy didn't look convinced. "My name is Mogura Inja…" He tapped his staff on the ground nervously.  
>"Um… could I get directions to the Amagi Inn? I've been told I'll be staying there, as this is a rural town and I have no relatives nearby."<p>

-!-

"What?" Yukiko's eyes bulged. "*Ahem*, I m-mean… M-My n-name is Yu-Yukiko Amagi." She stuttered, blushing. "Ah… I guess we could walk there if you want… My friends should be coming soon, so-"

"Chie, get back here!"

Satonaka rolled past on Yosuke's bike, teetering for a little bit before jerking to a halt beside Yukiko. "I'm keeping the bike until you pay me back for Trial of the Dragon!" She turned to her friend. "Sorry, I guess you'll be walking home alone."

Yukiko shook her head. "No, it's fine."

"Dammit, Chie!"

As Yosuke ran toward them, Chie put her feet back on the pedals and rode off, saluting her theft victim with a grin. "See ya!"

Yosuke ran up, panting. "D-dammit. I fucking hate it when she does stuff like that. Now I have to wake up like half an hour earlier."

"Sorry about that, man." Mogura turned toward Yosuke's voice.

"Oh well. I guess I'll have to deal with it. Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Mogura Inja. I'm a third-year who just got here from the USA."

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "God. With me, that makes three newcomers within six months, and two today." He put his smile back on. "I'm Yosuke Hanamura." He thought for a second. "Say, do you need any stuff? The Junes store here has lots of school supplies and other stuff. I can show you if you want."

Mogura snorted. "With an attitude like that, I'm guessing you work there and get bonuses for recommending customers, huh?"

-sweat-

Yosuke laughed uncomfortably. "Heh he heh... Something like that…"

-…-

**Afternoon**

"Welcome home, Big Sis." Nanako looked quite happy to meet her cousin.

"Where's Uncle?" Yi looked around.

Nanako's face fell. "Oh. He said that he needed to help with the crime scene. Somebody got killed hanging upside down from a TV antenna."

"Someone got killed?"

Nanako nodded. Then she looked up at her new sister, eyes full of questioning. "Big Sis, why do people kill other people?"

Yi's eyes widened. "Um…" She tapped her chin. "Some people are very angry or confused about themselves or how they see other people. They think they're doing the right thing when they do stuff like that, or they're just too angry or sad or even crazy to think about it."

"Really?" Nanako muttered. "I could never do something like that…"

"I know you couldn't." Nanako looked up. "You're too kind and nice and good-hearted to do something like that." Yi said. She knelt down and put her hand on Nanako's head. "Just keep remembering that as you go through life, and even though people may be angry or evil towards you, they can never make you act like them."

-./~-

The smile on Nanako's face filled the room with its warmth. "Thanks, Big Sis!"

-…-

Next Day: Tuesday, April 12

Yasogami High School

Morning

"Shut up, you brats!" Mooroka slammed his book on the desk. "Geez, you'd think that high schoolers would have a little common sense and learn to be quiet. But now, in addition to teaching you philosophy, I've also decided to straighten you guys out! You should feel honored!"

Yi rolled her eyes and ignored the first part of her irritating teacher's lecture, but took lots of notes on the stuff that mattered and felt like she was picking up valuable information about psychology.

-…-

After school, Yosuke approached Yi. "Well, I promised to treat you to steak, and so I will. You wanna go?"

Yi smiled. "Oh, you don't have to treat me. I have money, and you need to pay off Chie for that Trial of the Dragon DVD."

"Yeah… That's right…" Chie walked up haughtily. She poked Yosuke in the gut with her elbow. "How'd you get to school today?"

Yosuke glared at her with a rekindled hatred. "Walking… No thanks to you…" He sighed dramatically. "You see, this is why you'll never get a boyfriend…"

-#!-

The brunette's cheeks burnt crimson at this apparent touchy subject. Yosuke grinned to see his rival enraged. "What was that?" Chie grabbed him by the shirt and slugged him straight in the face. "I don't see you being Mr. Inaba, Hanamura!"

Yukiko stood up nearby. "Hey, Yukiko, are you coming with us?" Yi asked. Yukiko looked down and shook her head. She looked disappointed, and kind of frustrated.

"I'm sorry, but my family at the inn needs extra help right now. I'll see you guys later."

As she solemnly walked off, Yosuke rubbed his jaw and quipped, "Sure… So, it's not about that American guy, Mogura?"

Yukiko flashed pink and covered her face, while Chie took another swing at the auburn slacker.

-…-

**Afternoon**

**Junes Superstore**

"Yosuke! I thought you said you would get steak!" Chie frowned at the cheap snack food Yosuke bought at the Junes stands. "You'd think as the manager's son, you'd get a discount or something…"

"Yeah, well, Junes doesn't sell fully grilled steak, and when you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans from the steak shop earlier." He turned to face the more cheerful Yi. "So, are you getting used to Inaba?"

"Yi nodded. "I think I am. There's just something you can find in this town you can't get anywhere else."

"Yeah, I guess…" Yosuke frowned.

"Oh!" Chie perked up as if she had remembered something important. "Have you guys heard of the Midnight Channel?" She looked like she had been waiting a while to speak about it.

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Geez, Chie… I thought you'd grow up from all that kiddy stuff someday."

Chie shoved Yosuke. "It's not kiddy stuff! It's real! People have actually seen it!" Putting her mouth to Yi's ear, she whispered, "There's a story that if you're awake at midnight and a TV in the room is off, it'll turn on and you can see someone on it. Some people even think your soulmate shows up on it!"

"That's just a bunch of baloney," Yosuke scoffed.

"Shut up! Anyways, it's supposed to rain tonight. You wanna try it?"

Yi shrugged. "I dunno. It sounds too weird to be true."

"See? Someone thinks in this town."

"Not you!"

Yosuke looked over his shoulder. "Hey! It's Saki-senpai!" He waved to a girl with very light hair. She looked kind of frail, but she waved back. Soon, she was sitting aside the other three.

"So, Hana-chan, how's it going?" She asked.

"It was going pretty well, until Chie here dragged me out here to repay for a stupid DVD."

"WHOA! Hold on! Trial of the Dragon is a classic samurai movie with the perfect blend of action, drama, and romance to make even the toughest of action movie critics cry out of sheer joy, due to the incredible fight scenes, the dazzling special effects-hey, are you even listening?" Yosuke had been mimicking Chie's over-exaggerated 'heroic' gestures, which brought a giggle to both Saki and Yi's faces.

"So, how's it been going with you, Senpai?" Yosuke asked Saki.

"Ingrate…" mumbled Chie.

"Um… it's been going pretty good… I guess." Saki looked like she was trying to hide something. However, Yosuke didn't seem to notice.

"That's cool. Oh! Here's that new exchange student, Yi Narukami! She helped me when I suffered a bicycle crash at the hands of Chie, so I decided to take it upon myself to help her, since I just came in from Tokyo six months ago."

Saki frowned for a second and then put her smile back on. "That's cool. Oh." She looked at her watch. "My next shift is starting soon. See ya!" She walked off.

The three continued to talk and snack for a while longer.

-…-

**Night**

Dojima Residence

Yi was continuing to unpack her stuff when suddenly, the lights in her room all turned off. She walked over to the light-switch and tried to flip on the lights, but no matter which way it was set, it wouldn't light up.

Then the TV turned on.

"Hey, Uncle?" No response.

She stepped toward the TV and-

_I art thou._

Her head started ringing.

_Thou art I._

Yi gripped the edge of the couch and felt sick. Her vision shifted several times, and her balance was off-kilter. Looking towards the TV, she saw an image of a fairly pretty-looking girl standing inside a liquor store. The image was blurry sometimes, but for the most part, it was clear.

"No way… the Midnight Channel is real…"

_You are the one who will open the door…_

Her hand stretched out to touch the TV.

_Open the door… and let your destiny unfold around you…_

She stepped forward, put her hand out to touch the screen…

_I art thou…_

And it passed straight through the glass.

…And thou art I…

A flash of light, a ripple in the screen, and a figure appeared in her mind.

A red-headed figure: It was clothed in a dark jacket, wore a metal mask, and carried a bladed spear. It stretched out to her as she stretched out to it, claws reaching out to fingers…

And then she fell backwards.

Her head clipped the coffee table.

It hurt. A lot.

But as she rubbed her head and cursed carpenters, she wondered what exactly she had gotten herself into.

-…-

**Next Day: Thursday, April 14**

**Yasogami High School**

**Morning**

"No way! Really?" Chie was geeking out as Yi told her more about what happened.

"Yeah! She had long white hair!"

"Same here! Oh my gawd! Was she wearing an apron?"

"Yeah!"

"That's so cool!"

"It totally looked just like that girl Yosuke had us talk to!"

"You mean Saki-senpai?" Yosuke walked over. "Are you guys seriously talking about the Midnight Channel again?"

"Shut UP, Yosuke. We both actually saw the Midnight Channel! And Saki-senpai showed up on it!"

"What? That's ridiculous! You said that the Midnight Channel shows a person's soulmate! And I specifically remember her showing up when I… uh…" Yosuke cut himself off.

Chie smirked sarcastically. "So you watched it too? What a surprise." Chie thought for a second. "Wait a minute… What if Saki-senpai showed up on all the TVs when the Midnight Channel was on?"

"By the way… where IS Saki, anyway?" Yosuke looked around. "I haven't seen her today…"

"She skipped school yesterday… Whaddaya think happened?" Chie rolled her eyes.

Yi cut back in. "But that's not all! While all this was happening, a strange voice came up in my head… and when I reached out to touch the screen, my hand went straight through!" She shuddered. "If it had been a bit larger, then I might have fallen in!"

Yosuke patted Yi on the shoulder. "Boy, you must have been really tired to dream something like that!"

Chie shoved Yosuke. "But that sounds so realistic… If the screen was bigger, then…" Something came to her. "By the way… my family is considering buying a bigger TV."

"Well, flatscreens are in style now… we can stop by Junes on the way home. Junes is beefing up their electronics department, and maybe Yi here can jump into one of the 50-inch ones." Yi slapped Yosuke playfully.

"Ow! Women… so violent…"

-…-

Junes Electronics Department

Afternoon

"Boy, Junes has just about everything…" Chie looked around. "It's been so much easier to get stuff, but I've never seen the Shopping District in such bad shape."

"Way to make me feel better, Chie." Yosuke groaned. "Well, anyway, this model over here is pretty cheap…" He pointed to a TV on the right side of a far larger, nonfunctioning TV. Chie walked over and looked at the price tag.

"What the hell? This isn't cheap!" She stood up. "It's got too many zeroes!" She poked him in the ribs. "C'mon… You're the manager's son... hook me up..."

He shook his head. "You know I can't do that…"

"Then at least show me a TV set that doesn't cost, like, 10 million yen…"

Yosuke sighed. "Okay… I guess I should have asked you what you meant by 'cheap' right off the bat." He walked over to another set. "This one's a little old, but it's still pretty good…"

"Hey, guys! Look at this!" Yi cried.

"What is it?" Chie looked up and gasped.

-!-

Yosuke looked up and his eyes bulged. He couldn't believe it… there was no way…

Yi had her hand and part of her arm stuck in the TV.

-!-

"Oh my GOD!" Chie started shaking in excitement and fear. "Your hand went in!" The two rushed forward and stood beside their friend.

"Dude! What the hell are you doing?" He looked at Yi. "And how the hell are you doing it?"

"That's so cool!" Chie was close to screaming.

"I think I can put my head in, too!" Yi crouched over and pushed her head in the screen. Sure enough, it went through, no problem.

-!-

Yosuke was on the edge of breaking down. "Oh, man… I think I need to go to the bathroom... Nervous bladder…"

"Then go to the bathroom, you baby!" Chie pushed him away from the TVs.

Suddenly, they heard the chattering and footsteps of a group of people walking their way.

"Dammit, what are we going to do?" Yosuke looked around for a distraction or escape route.

"There's a lot of space in here." Yi blankly stated.

"Quick! Get her out of the TV!" Chie grabbed Yi's shoulders, while Yosuke tried to grab her around the waist.

-!-

"Hey! Yosuke! Get off me!"

Yi struggled to escape his grip, and ended up falling forward. "Dammit, I'm losing my footing…oh shiiiiiiiiiiiii-" Yosuke screamed as he and Chie fell into the TV with Yi.

As the shopping family turned the corner, they looked around for the source of the ruckus, but could only find flat screen televisions all the way to the end of the aisle. The father growled, "Stupid violent TV shows… the crap they let kids watch today…"

-…-

Meanwhile, Chie, Yosuke, and Yi were all falling to their apparent doom.

"... oOMph!" Yi hit the ground facing straight down. Chie fell on her left side, and unfortunate Yosuke landed on his rear.

"Ohhh… I think I landed on my wallet…" He rubbed his rear end.

"Ugh… what is this place?" Chie looked around. "It's so foggy."

Indeed, yellow fog covered the entire of the area. There were lights hanging from the ceiling, as if the place were a studio. In fact, it seemed like the area stretched on for miles in all directions. But they couldn't tell much because the fog blocked objects out of sight after about 15 feet.

"Are you guys okay?" Yi mumbled from the ground.

"Uh, yeah… How are you holding up?" Yosuke turned to face his friend.

"I think my face is stunned." She picked herself up. "I'm okay, though." The whole right side of her cheek was red.

Yosuke winced. "Geez. You ought 'ta have that looked at."

Suddenly, there was a noise from behind them. "Wh-what was that?" Chie whispered. She started shaking and moving towards the other two. A short but bulky figure moved around in the fog. It took short but sweping strides towards the group, as if it were already aware of their presence.

Yi stood up and pulled the other two up as well."Let's get out of here!" she cried. "That thing's probably going to attack us!"

They all started to run up a random metal staircase in front of them and into what seemed to be the hallway of an apartment complex. Unfortunately, the being seemed headed that way as well.

"Quick, inside!" Yi held the door open and the other two ran in. She followed in herself.

The room was very dark and very strange. There was a hangman's noose in one corner and a chair right next to it.

"Ooh! My bladder can't stand much more of this… Could you guys please leave?" Yosuke whimpered.

"Fine by me…" Chie and Yi stepped outside, only to run straight into the thing they had been running from…

"EEEEK!" Yi jumped at the sight ofit.

"It's a- a…"

…a life-sized stuffed animal? It was brightly colored, fat, and looked like a multicolored teddy bear with a blue top half and a red bottom half, with a white spot on the top where his face was. It was like something out of a cartoon.

"… is that a bear?" Chie lowered her hands.

"You bear-cha!"

The two girls screamed, and Yosuke, who was by this time 'relieved', came out to see what happened.

"What the- who the hell are you?"

"I could ask you the same thing! Whaddaya think you're doing, bear-ging in here and disturbing all the Shadows?" The adorable yet irritated animal waved its arms in alarms. "Are you the guys the ones throwing those people in to get attacked by Shadows? Huh?"

"Shadows? What are you talking about?"

An audible groan came from the side of a wall, and the bear started shaking in fear. He quickly pulled a pair of glasses out of his pocket and handed them to Yi. "Take these and run! Those Shadows are going to try and hurt all of us!" Then he hurdled off into the unknown.

"Wait, you stupid bear! Can you help us?" Yosuke started after him, but stopped. "Great. Now how are we going to get out?"

Yi swallowed. "I'd be more worried about staying alive." She put the glasses on. "He's right! Those things are gonna kill us! Run!" She pushed Chie and Yosuke to run down a flight of stairs when a glob of dark goo peeled of the wall and threw itself at her. She screamed, dodged, and ran after the other two. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a huge clearing. They ran towards it, hoping for a way out. No such luck. Huge flying tongue monsters dropped out of the sky and hovered about six feet off of the ground, blocking off their paths out. One stopped in front of Chie and licked her full-body. Understandably, she collapsed to the floor, shaking in horror.

Soon all three were surrounded. Yosuke whimpered. "Dammit, we're screwed, aren't we?"

Suddenly, when it seemed the end had come, the voice in Yi's head returned.

_I art thou._

_Thou art I._

A huge blue circle with a face in the middle of it began to glow on the floor. Suddenly, Yi felt powerful. Unstoppable. She could fight. She could win.

_I am the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

"Per…"

A glowing blue card flickered in front of her.

"Help us," Chie shuddered. Then the shadows started to back off. They saw Yi's aura and became afraid.

"…so…"

"NARUKAMI!" Yosuke cried out, before realizing that the power didn't hurt her.

"…na…" The card reappeared, tilted and spinning in the air.

_I art Thou…_

Yi reached out…

_Thou art I…_

She crushed the card in her hand.

"PERSONA!"

**END CHAPTER:**

**NEXT SCENT: The Power of Persona**

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room…"

"Reports say that Saki Konishi has been found dead!"

"We need to go back in the TV."

"Wow, Sensei!"

"…everything's a pain in the ass!"


	4. Chapter 3: The Power of Persona

Author's Note: Thanks goes out again to EmperorArcana for her betareading.

-…-

In the Velvet Room, Igor smiled. "It seems our guest has finally awakened to her powers. Now let us see how she uses them." He chuckled in glee. "She will soon receive the Contractor's Key."

Margaret nodded. "I hope that she fares better than the most recent Fool. He seems to have chosen a path that was… most unproductive." She frowned and looked out the window.

Then she turned her gaze back to Igor and handed him a blue file. "Also, sir, a recent surge in supernatural power has been found."

Igor picked up the folder and looked at it carefully. "America is none of our concern, Margaret."

Margaret set her jaw. "But, sir, it seems as if… The person responsible for the surge came from Japan."

Igor waved his hand. "Let our friends in the Silver Chateau handle this…" He closed his eyes. "As for now, let us guide our guest as well as possible."

**Episode 3: The Power of Persona**

_Courage- Reliable_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Rough_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Callow_

_-...-_

**Unknown Location**

**Afternoon**

Yi clenched her fist, and the card broke apart. Suddenly, a huge figure took form out of the blue light. With a metal mask, huge blade-spear, and wild red hair, it looked like the toughest schoolgirl on earth had decided to go cosplaying in battle armor. It looked down at her, as if expecting orders, and, instantly, Yi knew the name of her guardian.

"Izanagi-jo!" She cried, holding her hand out to defend her two friends. In a flash, the Shadows edging to attack Yosuke and Chie exploded. The being pulled its blade back around, and prepared to strike again. More tongue-faced Shadows flew toward the new intruder, but they were soon hacked to shreds, before dissolving into black mist and disappearing.

Realizing that they were not going to get anywhere attacking one at a time, they swarmed the giant fighter in a group of maybe twenty or thirty. Covered in Shadows, Izanagi hacked and slashed, but to no avail.

Yi swore and felt a clench in her chest. "ZIO!" An electric explosion sent most of the enemies flying, and those that weren't sent flying dissolved on the spot. When the giant stood up and pointed her spear at her enemies once more, the fiends decided that this dinner wasn't worth having, and fled in all directions. Seeing that the threat was gone, Izanagi-jo transformed back into a card and disappeared.

Yosuke ran over to Chie and helped her up. "What was that?"

Chie gasped. "We were about to be eaten, and then…"

Yosuke pointed at Yi. "She slaughtered all of them! I mean, it was the coolest thing ever!" He hopped up and down in excitement. "Did you SEE what that that 'Izanagi'-thing did? It just hacked them apart with this huge bladed spear, and when it looked like it was going to be swarmed, it summoned this huge thunder-shock!" He turned to Yi. "Hey, can you teach me how to do that?"

"Um, I don't think so…" The grey-haired girl suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I… I mean, even I'm not entirely sure how it works."

Chie slapped Yosuke on the back of the head. "We can talk about it later. Right now, we need to get out." She looked around. "Now where did that bear go?"

-…-

Five minutes of antagonizing searching led them back to where they had started and one cuddly yet tenacious bear.

"Yes?" The bear looked up expectantly, cartoonish eyes blinking.

"Argh, there you are, you little goof." Yosuke panted. "You seem to know a lot about this place. Can you help us get out?"

The bear nodded. "That's what I've been trying to tell you! I beary much want you to leave as much as you want to get out!"

Chie rolled her eyes. "Great. So where is the exit?"

The bear stomped his foot, and a stack of three TVs popped out of the ground. He waved his arms and pointed at them. "Now, OUT! OUT!"

Yi stepped up to one of the TVs, then paused and glared at Yosuke. "Don't you dare get any ideas!" Yosuke rolled his eyes.

"Alley OOP!" The bear picked up Yi in a flash and threw her screaming into the middle TV.

"Hey, whaddaya think you're doing, you dumb- Argh!" Yosuke went in next, followed by Chie.

_-…-_

_Junes Electronics_

_Afternoon_

_-…-_

The three tumbled out of the Junes TV in a heap. Yi quickly got up and dusted herself off.

"We're back!" Chie laughed. She and Yosuke hugged happily. After about a second, Chie realized what was going on. Giving him a knee to the crotch, she yelled, "How dare you take advantage of the situation!"

Yosuke lay on the floor and groaned in pain as the two girls looked around. Apparently, there was nobody around, so they decided to stick around for a while.

"What do you think that world was?" Chie asked.

Yi shrugged. "I dunno, it just seemed like it was some kind of Nega-Inaba. Like, there were buildings around, and it kinda looked like the Shopping District, but it was a shadowy imitation."

"Hmm." Chie tapped her chin with her finger. "I never really noticed. There was nobody but Shadows around." She gasped. "Do you think maybe that those Shadows are really people on this side?"

Yi swallowed. "If that's true, did I kill all those people?"

Yosuke picked himself up and rolled his shoulders. "Stop worrying and let's get home." He sighed. "I need a shower … and sleep."

"Yeah." Yi nodded. "Everybody's exhausted and confused. Let's look into this on a fresh note." She whispered, "And hope I didn't kill anybody…"

_-…-_

_Afternoon_

_Dojima Residence_

_-…-_

Yi sat down with Nanako and Dojima to watch some TV after dinner. The evening news was on, and the hot topic seemed to be recent events in Inaba.

"_Not long ago, Mayumi Yamano was found dead in the small town of Inaba. She had been staying at the famous Amagi Inn, famous for its hot springs. For a time previously b__efore her death, her whereabouts were unknown. It has been suspected that she was taking a vacation from her job due to the pressure her recent scandal had on her."_

Yi frowned. The inn Yukiko's family owned?

Dojima sighed. "This and Saki Konishi's gone missing… the work just keeps piling up."

"In other news, there is a fog warning from now until morning. Visibility will be reduced severely, so please drive safely."

Yi decided to go to bed soon after that. She really needed to think more about this.

_-..-_

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room." Igor looked up. "I see you have awakened to your powers. As you investigate this new world, be careful so that your path does not become shrouded by fog. Now… For our contract." He waved his hand, and a clipboard with a contract on it dropped into Yi's lap.

She picked it up and looked at it. A single line of text was burned into the paper.

_I will do everything within my power to find the truth._

A signature mark was placed below it. She wound up her courage and put pen to paper.

_YI NARUKAMI_

The clipboard and paper disappeared in a flash and were replaced by a key. It was stainless steel and carried a blue insignia on the keygrip. There was a face… the same face that appeared on the ground when she summoned Izanagi-jo. She held out her hand, and the card appeared. **Just as suspected,** the very same face that was imprinted on the back of the card! She looked up at Igor, expecting an explanation.

"You have harnessed the power of Persona… The ability to use a part of your soul and the bonds you make as a power you can use to fight in the world you have found."

"A… part of my soul?" She looked at the card. "So… if Izanagi dies..?"

Igor nodded. "You will take a partiality of the damage your Persona receives. In this way, yes, you can die. Your Persona cannot exist without you, but it will not die before you do, either."

Margaret looked up at Yi. "You have a very special power… the Wild Card… This allows you to use many different Personae, but only one at a time. So choose carefully when you change Personae."

Yi looked confused. "Wait… so how do I get more Personae?"

Igor looked up. "By forming bonds… bonds of love and friendship. The stronger the bonds are, the more powerful the Personae." He became grim again. "You must be sure, though, to not form bonds for the mere sake of power. That makes the power proud… Hollow. When you come to the breaking point with a Persona forged from a fake bond, it will fail you."

Yi nodded. "I'll remember that."_ Ha._

A dark presence filled the room. Igor looked around in confusion, and Margaret pulled out a heavy book, flipping through the pages. As the presence dissolved, Margaret sat back down. However, everyone in the room was now tense.

"You should be getting back to your side… Remember, call on us when you need our help. You will feel when the time is right."

Yi nodded once more, then drifted back to sleep.

_-…-_

**Next Day: Friday, April 15**

**Inaba Residence**

**Morning**

As Yi came downstairs after changing into her uniform, she found Dojima walking out the door.

"Oh, good. You're up. I have to go." He walked out the door.

Nanako watched him leave worriedly. "He got a call this morning." She said. "He said he had to go somewhere."

Yi looked at Nanako kindly. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Nanako didn't look convinced. "Yeah…"

"C'mon… I'll walk you to school after breakfast."

Nanako didn't look up until Ryotaro had driven away.

_-…-_

_Afternoon_

_Yasogami High School_

_-…-_

The whole school was gathered in the hall after classes had ended, due to an announcement.

Yosuke looked around. "Hey, where's Yukiko?"

Chie frowned. "She got a call from her family. Apparently, there's a lot of work to be done at the inn."

"Quiet…" The Principal had called an assembly for some strange reason. Yi thought it might have something to do with Dojima's call. The bearded old man looked shaken up and tired, like he had been pulled out of bed and received terrible news.

"I… regret… to announce the passing away of Ms. Saki Konishi from Class 3-B."

The whole school quickly went into an flutter of chatter. Yosuke looked as if his soul had shattered.

"Ms. Konishi was found deceased this morning… the reasons behind her passing are still under investigation by the police." He wiped sweat from his face. "If the police ask you to cooperate, I ask you, as students of the school, to tell them only the truth."

The whispered gossip continued. Yosuke started mumbling something about having to go to the bathroom, and started walking off. He looked sick to the stomach, and his face was pale. Yi started walking after him. She followed him, turn after turn, until they finally made it outside. Yosuke leaned on one of the partitions in the covered walk between the main building and other classrooms. He sighed and started sobbing softly**, **dropping his face into his hands.

"Dammit…" He slammed his fist against a support beam. "I knew it was her…" Another strike. "Why? Why couldn't I save her?" He sniffed. "I saw her last night. On the Midnight Channel." He turned to Yi. "She looked like she was in pain. So I put my hand into the screen, but then she just vanished. She was gone. I couldn't help her. Just like that guy that said Mayumi Yamano was his soulmate… Saki died the same way." He wiped tears from his eyes and stood up tall. "The Midnight Channel killed Ms. Yamano and Saki. I know it. We need to go back in the TV."

Yi blinked. "What? That place nearly killed _us!_ We could really die if we went back in!"

Yosuke nodded, blinking tears away. "I know… But I've just gotta…" The bell rang, signaling the end of school. He ran off to get his bags without saying anything else.

"Yosuke? Yosuke!" Yi ran after him. However, Yosuke was far faster and had a head start, so Yi quickly lost him among the crowds of students. She ended up bumping into Chie on the way towards the assembly room.

"Chie!" She grabbed her recently made friend by the shoulders and shook her. "Where's Yosuke?"

Chie blinked and stuttered, "I-I don't know… What happened?"

"He's going to go back into the TV world!"

The brunette's eyes widened. "What? We nearly got killed in there! Why would he go back?"

"He thinks he can save Saki-senpai or something. We've gotta stop him before he gets himself killed!" Yi began to run off towards the school exit, picking up her bookbags before going.

_-…-_

_Junes Electronics Department_

_Afternoon_

_-…-_

"He tied a rope to the TV?" Chie pulled at the hemp around the TV's base. It was taut, indicating someone was at the other end. "At least he's not as dumb as he looks."

"C'mon, let's go." Yi had a golf club hidden in a bag they picked up by stopping at her house.

Chie raised her eyebrows. "How'd you manage that?"

"Very carefully."

So they jumped into the TV after Yosuke, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

_-…-_

It was no surprise which one they found. Upon following the rope to a small store in Nega-Inaba, Chie looked up at the store's sign. It read _Konishi Liquor. _

"This must be the store Saki-Senpai's parents own."

Yi nodded. "If there were any place that Yosuke could find a way to save Saki, it would be here."

Suddenly, the bear from earlier appeared. "You're back?" he growled. "I suppose you threw that Yosuke guy in." He frowned. "That guy stirred up a whole lot of Shadows."

As if on cue, black blobs started popping out of the floor, forming tongue Shadows and grounded masses of goo.

"Shadows like those! Run!" The bear began to sprint off until Yi summoned her Persona. "Izanagi-jo!" The metal-faced Persona pulled out her blade and hacked most of the Shadows in half, finishing off the stragglers with a Zio bolt.

The doll-like being waddled back over to Yi after Izanagi disappeared again. "Wow, Sensei! That was amazing!" He hugged her.

"Sensei?" Yi managed to shake him off.

"Yep! That was totally awesome!"

"Thanks. But we need to help Yosuke. He's not dead, is he?"

The bear shook his head. "Nope!" He frowned. "But he's in big trouble. We'd bear-ter hurry."

"We?" Chie asked.

A nod. "Yep! I can smell out people with this bear-y good nose of mine! Just so you know, my name is Teddie!"

"I'm Yi, and this is Chie. But we need to get back to saving Yosuke." She turned to face the liquor store. "Ready?"

Chie gritted her teeth. "Stupid Yosuke… Here we come to save your heartbroken ass." She and Yi walked in through a red portal, which seemed to replace the door.

Immediately, they were greeted with the sight of a crying Yosuke, down on his knees in sorrow.

Saki's voice rung in the air. "He was always so annoying. He thought that just because he was the manager's son, he was the instant friend of every employee."

"That's not true. Saki never thought that…"

"In reality, he was just a pain in the ass. He acted all carefree and happy-go-lucky, even as Junes started shutting down all the Shopping District's stores."

"That's not my fault!" Yosuke screamed, standing up. "Shut up! Just shut the HELL up!"

Chie stepped forward tentatively. "Y-Yosuke…"

Hanamura dropped an iron glare on the brunette. "Back off! I don't need you butting in here, Satonaka!"

Where in other cases Chie would get angry at Yosuke, she actually listened this time.

"I don't get it… why would she think something like that?" Yosuke fell back onto his knees. " I… tried to treat everyone nicely… What did I do wrong?"

"**I feel SO SORRY for myself. BOO HOO."** A familiar yet distorted voice replaced Saki-senpai's.

Yosuke jumped up, looking around with his fists clenched. "Wha-Who the hell said that?"

"**Actually, I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass." **Yosuke looked to his right, and stepped back in fear.

Teddie entered and was immediately confused. "Wha- two Yosukes?"

Indeed, in addition to the original Yosuke, a **doppelgänger** appeared out of the shadows. There was something not right about his eyes… they were yellow. There also seemed to be a thin mist continuously coming off of his body.

"What? Who are you?"

"**I'm you. Kinda surprising though. Because you're such a crybaby, that is."**

"You're me? You have no idea who I am!" He yelled.

"**SO, you came here to save Saki-senpai, huh? What a load of shit."**

"What?" The original stepped back.

The double sneered. **"You just came out here for some fun. You're sick and tired of living in the boonies. There's nothing to do." **It grinned.** "But a TV world… That's pretty damn cool! So you came out here under the guise of saving Saki. You could come in, get some powers like Yi over there, and hey! Maybe you could even be a hero! "**

"Shut the hell up!" Yosuke stepped forward threateningly. "Who do you think you are?"

A terrible, twisted laugh. **"Like I said. I'm you. I'm your Shadow… Who you truly are! This stuff I'm saying****… It's what you really think."**

"Like hell you are! You're just spouting bullshit!" Yosuke swung a punch at his copy. It easily dodged him.

"**You pathetic liar. You know I'm telling the truth. Like how you try to surround yourself with stuff to do and friend****s to talk to so that you're never bored. You don't want to be bored so that you never have to think about how pathetic you really are!"**

"T-That's not true!" He started sweating and looking down.

An evil grin. **"Hey… Why so nervous? I thought I was just spou****ting bullshit… Or maybe…"** A sarcastic gasp escaped the shadow's lips. **"…Maybe I DO know what you're thinking! Because I am you!"**

Yosuke looked at the Shadow head on. "I don't know you…"

The Shadow sneered. **"Go ahead. Say it."**

"…YOU'RE NOT ME!"

Suddenly, the mist around Shadow Yosuke became red and very violent.

"Chie! Stand behind me!" Yi pulled out her golf club and got in a defensive stance.

"**You're finally right for once, dumbass!"** The Shadow's face twisted like rubber and the grin became even more devilish. **"I'm not you anymore!"** There was an inward rushing as the shadows of the objects in the room fed Yosuke's shadow. **"I'm my own self!"**

An explosion revealed the entire liquor store as nothing but an illusion, the whole place folding in like a cardboard stage set. Yosuke's Shadow had taken on the form of a huge frog- being with a boomerang smile and a humanoid upper body attached to its back.

"**I am a shadow… The true self!" ** It glared at Yi and Chie. **"I'll crush everything that bores me… Start****ing with you!"** It hurled itself at the two girls with an earthshaking roar.

"Izanagi-jo!" The Persona caught Shadow Yosuke's attack head on. Yi winced but stayed standing. "Cleave!" With a mighty swing, Izanagi sliced right through the huge enemy. However, even though the Shadow howled in pain, it stood its ground.

"**WINDS OF OBLIVION!"** The fiend jumped ten feet straight up, landing with an impact that literally blew the two girls over.

Groaning to get up, Yi scrambled to her feet to avoid getting crushed by one of the Shadow's strikes.

"**Ha! Is that all you've got?"** Shadow Yosuke grinned and charged itself with red lightning. "**This is gonna be a cinch. I can just imagine what I'm going to do to you once you can't fight anymore…"** Suddenly, the Shadow took a wrench to the eye. It turned to see Yosuke, panting with the effort it took to stand.

"Shu-Shut the hell up! You couldn't be me… No way you could be me, jerk."

"**Tsk, tsk, Hana-chan. There's no use lying**." It picked him up from around the chest, lifting him up in the air. **"Just give it up and friggin die already. Nobody likes you… You've driven them all away by trying to be TOO nice." **More laughter.** "Boy, you really are pathetic, aren't you… failing a rescue mission, breaking down crying, having to be saved by a girl… I'm so glad I'm not you anymore. You're gonna die alone… heRAARGH!"**

Interrupted by a shot of lightning, the Shadow dropped Yosuke and backed down from Yi. **"GODDAMMIT! Can't you let me finish o****ne DAMN SPEECH? YARRGEEH!"**

Another bolt of Zio sent Shadow Yosuke spinning like a ballerina. Meanwhile, Chie rushed over to Yosuke and dragged him out of danger. Delirious, Hanamura laughed softly. "Hey… are we having fun yet?"

Chie winced. "Egad. That lightning must've gotten you too." She pulled out a plastic white bottle and popped the cap, pouring out two pills.

"Whazzat? Sleepn' pills?"

"Close. Asprin." She dropped the two pills in his slightly ajar mouth.

He swallowed them in a flash and looked back up. "But I'm not even-hwzzz…"

She smiled at the peacefulness of his sleeping face before realizing what she was doing. Blushing, she dragged him behind some studio lights and crouched there to protect herself as well.

Izanagi-jo and the Shadow were going back and forth, steel and thunder matching wind and fists, but the Shadow was getting tired and running out of power. It teetered back and forth unsteadily and shook his head in disbelief.

"**Damn… You're tough. I hate to admit it, but I'm gonna lose if it k****eeps going like this." **It looked over to where his double had been. His line of sight drifted to the studio lights where Chie was hiding. "**Ah well… might as well kill something on my way out."** The Shadow leaped over to the lights and knocked them all over with a gust of wind. Chie and Original Yosuke were trapped under the steel and cords.

"**Oh… Satonaka. Am I going to have fun knocking you off." **Brushing lights aside, it picked up the young woman and held her up to see her better. **"Crushing your ribs won't**** be much payback for all the crotch kicks you gave me, but it's good enough." **The Shadow's grip tightened and Chie screamed in pain.

"Stop- Stop it." The Shadow looked down to see Yosuke picking himself up.

"**Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?" **Shadow Yosuke laughed. **"You're just a cowardly wimp."**

"I know."

The Shadow stepped back. **"Huh? You can't be serious…"** It paused. **"Are you accepting me?"**

Yi considered pulling out Izanagi, but stopped. This was something that had to be done.

Yosuke nodded. "I realized that I would be even more cowardly to deny you than it would be to accept you. I looked at myself really hard and said, 'Wow. I suck.' I've spent all this time trying to hide from the idiot that I am. I hid behind friends, gadgets, and even Saki-senpai. So, after putting all this together, I found out that no matter how many friends I have, or how much cool stuff I own, if I'm a cowardly windbag, I'm no better than if I were broke and alone. I need to change… We need to change… Me."

The shadow put Chie down and flashed static all over its body.** "Finally… for the very first time… I feel… satisfied."** It lolled its head, tipping every which way and flickering between color and patches of black and white pixels.

Teddie hopped up and down. "It's acting weird… now's your chance!"

Yi ran over, pulling her card out one last time. "PERSONA!"

With a crack, Izanagi-jo hurtled toward Yosuke's Shadow one last time.

"IZANAGI-JO! ZIO CLEAVE!"

A bolt of lightning struck Izanagi's spear, sending powerful energy coursing through it. The Persona pulled back her blade and with a single motion hacked the flickering Shadow in half. The resulting explosion covered the whole room in darkness for a few seconds.

When the shadows drained out, there was a figure hovering over Yosuke and emanating blue light.

"Is that… A disco ninja frog?" Yi smirked.

Yosuke glared at her. "Shut up. At least I don't have a school-girl gang leader as my Persona." He thought. "Do those even exist?"

Izanagi-jo looked miffed, but the new Persona laughed, a cheerful sound that sounded like sleigh bells to everyone in the room.

_For showing strength of heart and facing your cowardice with newfound courage, I have been made manifest from the sea of your soul…_

_I am Jiraiya, the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

_I art thou… and thou art I._

The Persona flashed once, and a card drifted down into Yosuke's hand. The auburn **goofball** held out his hand, and the card disappeared. Instantly, he felt faint and had to lean on a fallen piece of lighting equipment. The equipment quickly fell over, and he fell flat on his face. Chie and Teddie had to stifle a giggle.

As he was struggling to get up, Yosuke saw a hand reach out to him again. He looked up and saw Yi, courteous as ever, giving him help up. Once again, he took the hand and stood up.

"Thanks, Partner." He rubbed the back of his head. "Um, you know how I said I'd treat you to grilled steak?"

Yi shifted uncomfortably. "Um, yeah?"

"Whaddaya say we actually do go out for steak… Not like the stuff at Junes. I think I owe you… again, and my paycheck's coming up soon."

"After you give Chie that DVD you owe her."

"Yeah! And don't forget, I saved your life too! When you were dropped by your shadow, I dragged you out of the way. So you owe me extra." Chie poked him in the ribs.

He shooed her off. "Whatever! I saved your life right after that! And I also saved _both_ of your asses when I hit the Shadow with that wrench. I owe Yi because she saved my life _and_ yours multiple times."

Teddie started putting his paws together and mumbling. Then he frowned and burst out crying all of a sudden.

"Teddie, what's wrong?" Yi knelt down to look at him eye to eye.

Teddie put his face into Yi's shoulder and sobbed, "Yi-Sensei, I can't count up how much each of you owe each other because I only have two paws and no fingers! Waaah!"

Yui sighed in dual exasperation and sympathy, placing her hand on the furball's head. "Teddie, it's alright. You're fine just the way you are."

Teddie looked up**, releasing another sob**. "Really?"

"Really **r**eally." She smiled genuinely at the childlike innocence of the bear.

"Yay!" He perked up. "In that case, can I come with you guys?"

"Um, not yet…" Yosuke grumbled. "You see, lots of other people would be creeped**–"**

"–_Wouldn't appreciate_ your cuteness as much as we do." Yui finished, shooting a glare at Yosuke.

"Oh. Okay…" Teddie still looked slightly sullen.

"But we can visit you now, since we have two Personae to fight Shadows with."

"Will you guys stop whoever is throwing people into the TV?" Teddie looked into Yui's eyes.

"Sure we will… right, Partner?" Yosuke flashed a thumbs-up.

Yui looked up and realized everyone was waiting for her to respond.

"Uh, OK." She paused, then nodded. "Yes. We will."

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: INCIDENT AT THE INN**

"I… Excuse me?"

"I think it may have been-"

"Where on Earth is Yukiko?"

"I don't believe you at all…"

"Mogura's under police search."


	5. Chapter 4: Incident at the Inn

Author's Note:

By the suggestion of one of my reviewers, I have decided to make a change in the naming of the protagonist's name.

Due to my lack of knowledge of the actual Japanese language or Japanese names, I have named the protagonist 'Yi' as a modification of 'Yu'. 'Yi' is not actually a Japanese name, thus wounding the realism of the story. So I have modified every point at which 'Yi' appeared in the story, and am replacing it with 'Yui', which is the female derivative of 'Yu'. Just wanted to let everyone know.

-...-

Yui walked back from Junes with a clear umbrella, whose umbrella bag she had used to hold the golf club as well. The bag itself was rather clumsy, but she needed any excuse she could get to hide her makeshift weapon. She was walking past the Amagi Inn when she heard someone call out to her. It was Yukiko, wearing a pink yukata and sitting on a wooden bench under raincover.

The grey-haired girl walked over and put her umbrella into the bag.

"I wondered why you were carrying that…" Yui blushed in embarassment.

"Well, you know, it's an umbrella bag… for carrying umbrellas and stuff…"

"And stuff?" Yukiko looked over to the bag. "It looks like there's something else in there."

"Never mind that!" Yui pushed the bag aside and looked at Yukiko again. "Why are you wearing a yukata, anyway? Isn't it a little…" she waved her hand, "…formal?"

Yukiko shook her head. "I did some errands for my parents, and I kinda always wear this on family business."

"You must have attracted a few looks." Yui winked. "That creepy guy isn't the only one who likes the way you look. Have you gotten any requests?"

Yukiko turned crimson. "Requests? Oh… you mean for dates. Yeah. I think I get way too many."

"Yeah… What else did you think I meant?" Yukiko turned her gaze to the right so she could hide her burning face. "Oh… You really thought I meant that?" Yui giggled and poked Yukiko in the shoulder. "That's a bit much for an implication. Have you been thinking about someone?"

"You're unbelievable!" Yukiko sighed. "Sheesh, you're just like Chie."

Yui leaned back on the bench. "I wouldn't say that… Chie's a real handful, but she doesn't seem interested in talking about boys."

"Of course not." Yukiko rolled her eyes. "She's way too much of a tomboy. I should know, since we've been best friends since we were little." Yui turned away, looking distant. "What's wrong?" Yukiko asked.

"I... I've never really had a best friend…" the city girl turned her eyes down. "I've changed schools so often for my parents' work that I've only had some pretty good friends. I never really kept track of them after the year ended." She looked back at Yukiko. "I just hope that can change here."

Yukiko nodded, then poked Yui back. "Speaking of guys, I think Yosuke has a thing for you."

Yui snorted. "I get that. But I highly doubt he'd start trying to date me at this point because… well, you know."

"He is pretty nice, if he's not acting annoying or arguing with Chie. Right?"

"I guess. It just seems too soon after I've come here to start thinking like that."

"Oh." Yukiko looked disappointed.

"Still," Yui looked out around Inaba. "It seems as if I've known you guys for a while, even if it's only been three days."

"Oh! I'm sorry, but I need to talk to the head chef about preparations for tomorrow." She looked gloomy. "Our family's inn can't seem to manage without me right now."

"That's okay. I need to go soon anyway." She stood up and got her umbrella. "I'll see you later, OK?"

Yukiko smiled and waved. "Goodbye!"

Resting the umbrella on her shoulder, Yui started walking home, her spirits a little higher in spite of the dreary skies.

-Persona 4-

**Episode 4: Incident at the Inn**

_Courage- Reliable_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Eloquent_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Callow_

-Persona 4-

-…-

**Dojima Residence **

**Afternoon**

Yui sat down on the living room cushion opposite from Nanako. Her 'little sister' didn't seem so happy, though. "What's wrong?"

Nanako stared at the TV blankly. "Dad's late."

Suddenly, a news broadcast came on.

"_Tonight, we'd like to bring to you a special report on the recent string of strange murders that have been taking place in Inaba. At 7:00 AM this morning, a high-school student named Saki Konishi was found dead, hanging from a telephone pole in a similar way as Saki Konishi was found. As Saki Konishi was the first to find the body, police suspect it was a chain murder. The coroner has placed the time of death at 1:00 AM, but the body was not found at that time due to the fact that it was so foggy the day before, and the fog had not cleared at the time."_

"Dad's not coming home tonight." Nanako said, fidgeting.

"You still have me. I can help you with whatever it is needs doing."

"Yeah…" Nanako looked distant again.

"You really care about your dad, don't you?"

"Huh?" She looked up. "Yeah… of course. Even when he comes home late."

"_Next up, we have an interview with the heir to Inaba's famous Amagi Inn."_

Yui looked back at the camera intently. A familiar pink yukata appeared on screen as the reporter held out his microphone.

"_So, you're Miss Yukiko Amagi of Amagi Inn."_

_The timid girl nodded softly. "Yes. Our family is taking in a lot of work lately, so I've had to help more than usual."_

"_That's not surprising, considering the case at hand. The police have reported that Miss Yamano was staying at the Amagi Inn, wasn't she?"_

A flash of annoyance crossed Yukiko's face, but she continued responding. _"Y-yes. We were quite honored to have such a great performer visit our inn."_

"_But Miss Yamano also had that affair with Taro Namatame, didn't she? Was the Inn aware of that when you accepted her as a resident?"_

Yukiko responded crossly,_ "It is of none of our concern what our client's personal lives are like. Thank you for dedicating some of your time to the Amagi Inn, but I have things to attend to-"_

The reporter paid no heed._ "Isn't it true that you'll be taking over the position of manager in the spring? Aren't you only in high school?"_

"_I-I am only in high school, but I'm only managing because my parents are very preoccupied. Now if you'll excuse me…"_

"_You look quite pretty in that yukata you're wearing. Have you had many male visitors, I wonder?"_

Yukiko turned back to face the reporter, disbelief and anger covering her face._ "I… Excuse me?"_

"_Like that young man over there. Excuse me, sir, but can we borrow some of your time?"_

_The cameraman turned to face… "Oh, man…" Yui winced. "Worst… Timing… Ever…"_

A casually-dressed Mogura turned to face the speaker._ "Eh?"_

Yukiko turned crimson at this unfortunate occurance.

He was sitting on a birdfeeder's bench, wearing a thin blue polo shirt and a white undershirt. The American had taken off his uniform jacket. He picked up his guidance staff and made his way over to the reporters._ "What is it?"_

"_Would you mind answering a few questions?"_

His brow furrowed._ "Um, I guess. Is this a survey or an interview?"_

"_An interview. First, are you a customer of the Amagi Inn?" _The reporter held out the mike.

"_I am, but I just recently got here. Three days ago. From America."_

"_For an American, you seem like someone who's been to Japan a lot. Tell me, is this your first time at the Amagi Inn?"_

"_Actually, this is my first time in Inaba. So, yes, this is my first time at the Inn."_

The reporter looked disgruntled._ "Well, uh, where did you hear about the Inn?"_

"_From my parents. I called them when I got to Inaba, and they said I had a reservation here, because I have no relatives in Japan."_

"_Alright. Well, uh, you must be shaken up, knowing the murderer entered the Inn you're staying at. Right?"_

He shook his head._ "Not really. The murder took place several miles away from the Inn, unless you expect a murderer to drag a dead body past the entrance booth and hang it up on a radio receiver, on a roof, near the school district." _He grinned widely, which was kind of unnerving._ "Personally, I think it was ghosts for both deaths."_

_Confusion filled the reporter's face. "Why would you say that?"_

"_Because ghosts don't like reporters." _He tapped the glass lens pointed at his face._ "Or cameras."_

The reporter stepped back nervously, obviously sensing animosity from his interviewee. _"Uh, thanks for the interview, Mr.…"_

"_Inja. Mogura Inja." _That smile again_. "In case you're wondering, Miss Amagi is long gone, working on whatever you delayed her from doing."_

Yui turned off the TV. "That guy can be seriously scary when he wants to. Sheesh."

"Yeah." Nanako nodded. "Why does he wear sunglasses like that, anyway?"

"Well, uh, because he's blind and blind people tend to either have injured eyes or eyes with no pupils and most people find that unnerving."

"Oh. No 'pupils'?"

"Those little black dots in the center of your eyes." Yui pointed to her own left eye.

"Okay." Nanako thought for a second. "Um, are a lot of gangsters blind? They wear sunglasses, right?"

Yui inwardly giggled. "No. They just wear the sunglasses because some people think that makes them look cool."

Nanako looked down again. "Oh yeah. I need to do the dishes."

She stood up, and Yui followed. "I'll help."

That brought a smile to the little girl's face, if only for a little while.

-…-

**Night**

The Persona user sat on her couch in her pajamas, waiting for the time to tick down.

11:59… _Come on._ She pulled out her phone. Fully charged.

She shifted through her contacts. The ones on the bottom, the most recent ones, were Yosuke Hanamura and Chie Satonaka. They had decided to exchange numbers for safety's sake, even though Chie was less than forthcoming with giving her number to Yosuke. She smiled. Those two were always arguing. It was kind of cute, really.

Then the screen flashed dead, and Yui looked up. The television in her room flickered on. She leaned forward to get a better look, and it seemed like somebody was on the screen. It seemed to be a fairly large guy balled up with his arms around his legs. He was clutching a bar or something in his hands, but she couldn't tell what.

Then the screen turned off, and everything else powered back on. She pulled out her phone, and immediately it started ringing. It was Yosuke. She put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"_Did you see that? It looked like somebody was in there!"_

"Yeah. I think it may have been Mogura." Yui rested her hand on the top of her TV.

"_What? But doesn't somebody have to have been thrown in to appear on the Midnight Channel? I saw him on the news like, six hours ago. There's no way that the murderer threw him in that fast. I mean, wouldn't we have heard sirens or something? Plus, Amagi Inn is under police investigation. It doesn't seem likely the murderer could have gotten in and shoved him in his own TV, because no room a student could afford would have a TV that big."_

-sweat-

"Oh… Yeah. But that guy really looked like Mogura, didn't it? Plus, I think that was his guidance staff in his hands. And he received enough media attention that someone could go after him if they wanted." She shifted her phone. "He is blind… he could have gotten mugged by the murderer outside the Inn, you know…"

Yosuke was silent for a second, then said, _"I guess that makes sense. We'd better find out tomorrow." _

Yui stood up with alarm. "Tomorrow? But he could get killed tonight!"

"_Wait… Saki-senpai was missing from two days before she died. Maybe it takes more than one day to kill someone. "_ He yawned. _"Anyways, we can't help him right now! If he is gonna get killed tonight, by the time we get to Junes, we'll get in just in time to pick up the body. Plus, I'm tired."_

"Do you even care about this?" Yui slammed her fist on the TV in front of her. Then she sighed. "Sorry. You're right. You just faced your Shadow tonight, so there's no chance that they'd throw him in like that without us knowing. I'm just too tired to think."

Yosuke sounded hurt. _"Uh, it's okay. See you tomorrow, I guess."_

"Good night." Yui cut the line and lay down on her futon in exhaustion. "Like I'm gonna get any sleep now…"

-…-

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," Igor said. "I see that you have a strong grip on your newfound power." He smiled and looked up. "I wonder how you will handle the deepening of the mystery you find yourself in."

Margaret turned to her guest. "By your newfound bond with Yosuke, you are now able to summon a Persona of the Magician Arcana, Jack-o-Lantern, as an option to Izanagi-jo."

She opened a huge blue book that sat on the table beside her. A new card floated down towards her lap and into the book. A blue image of a pumpkin-headed lantern-bearer appeared front of Yui, bowed deeply, and dissolved.

"That is not all!" Igor looked up and smiled. "You have found new strength in your friend as well. Yosuke has awakened his Persona, and he certainly will become a valuable ally in the future. Now you will not fight alone. He trusts you, even after only having known you for a few days. Even better, I sense you trust him, too! This Social Link was forged in the fire of battle and slowly cooled in mutual respect. It will not fail you, so you can always trust Jack-o-Lantern to come to your call."

He nodded and waved his hand. "However, you still have a long path before you. In fact, you have yet to help Mogura out of his dilemma, yes?"

Yui nodded. "Yosuke said that it may take more than one day for the Midnight Channel to kill someone. Is this true?"

Igor looked his guest straight on. "I will tell you this. Keep track of the weather. When 12:00 strikes after a day of fog, you can be sure that whoever is in the Television World will never come out."

Margaret closed the book and turned to Yui again. "It seems as if you're going to wake up soon. If there are any more questions you wish to ask, now would be the time to ask them."

"One." Yui leaned forward. "What are Shadows?"

Igor closed his eyes as if in deep thought. "Shadows are human fears, doubts, and vicious impulses made manifest. If enough people feel the same thing, or a single person concentrates all of their fears in a single bout of despair or anger, they can become quite powerful. Naturally, those who are present in the Midnight Channel will have their fears summoned up into a single large Shadow, who will begin taunting their owner with their very existence until the target breaks down and releases their full power. This is caused by the fear and denial of the Shadow's existence." He looked back up again. "Does that answer your question?"

"So Personas are Shadows who have been accepted and conquered?"

"Precisely. When that person ceases to fear revealing what the Shadow is hiding, the Shadow's composition changes from doubts and fears to courage and strength the human never had before."

"Sorry. Another question." She winced under Elizabeth's seething glare. "Why can't Shadows leave the TV World?"

The goblin-like old man looked solemn. "That is because the Midnight Channel only exists in human thoughts. Thoughts like Shadows cannot leave the Midnight Channel because they don't 'exist' on your plane of reality. This dilemma, unfortunately, can be fixed by a Shadow taking hold of its human's soul and using it as a kind of ticket across." He gave a sad but thankful sigh. "However, no Shadows, as far as I know, have ever crossed over, even though two women seem to have had their souls stolen."

Margaret refocused her irritancy towards Yui. "That will be enough questions for now. You seem to be awakening, and it is important that you focus on your schoolwork as well as your journey."

Yui swallowed. "Yes, Ma'am."

"And…" She smiled for once. "Good luck. We will be here to aid you in your quest."

A key floated down from the ceiling. "This is the key to the Velvet Room. You can find us now in the Shopping District, behind the door this key unlocks. Keep it safe. It is one of very few and something that would be very dangerous in the wrong hands."

The grey-haired girl nodded dumbly and found her alarm clock was ringing.

-…-

**Next Day: Saturday, April 16**

**Yasogami High School**

**Morning**

"Where on Earth is Yukiko?" Chie was pacing back in forth between Yui's desk and Yosuke's in the time before homeroom. Coincidentally, they happened to be right next to each other, making her look like she was turning around constantly. Yui was paying her no attention, folding pretty origami cranes.

"She's almost never this late!"

"Geez, Chie, calm the hell down! She's probably helping out at the Inn or something." Yosuke sighed and plopped his head down on his desk. "So stop pacing. It's really annoying."

"You're really annoying, Yosuke!" She turned to Yui. "Are you sure you saw Mogura? For me, it could have looked like anyone." She tapped her foot on the ground.

Yui placed her fourth crane on her desk. "Chie, it was a large person balled up on the ground, carrying a long, thin stick in his hands. That sounds like Mogura to me. He also showed up in that interview. If anything, he probably saved Yukiko from being thrown in. After all, he called out an important flaw in the murderer's plan, so the murderer's probably gonna try to take him out before he picks up any more clues."

"Yeah, but he also said he thought ghosts did it." Yosuke added sarcastically.

Yui turned around to face the slacker. "Yosuke, you know he did that to freak out the cameramen, right?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. People have thought crazier stuff."

"Yui is right." Mogura was sitting in the desk right beside Yosuke.

-!-

Yosuke nearly leaped out of his chair. "What the- You're not even in this class! But that was pretty cool, the whole staying silent the whole time."

"It's not that hard. You just have to come in early and pretend you're reading." He held up All Quiet on the Western Front. "I haven't got a clue what this is, by the way. Would anyone mind telling me?"

Yosuke stared at the cover for about ten seconds before panicking. "What the hell? That's my book! Gimme that!" He snatched the book from Mogura and groaned. "I need this for an assignment due on Monday…"

"Sorry, dude. I didn't know. I just found it on the floor of the library and walked out with it."

The auburn-haired student sighed. "Actually, thanks. I would have been knee-deep in shit if you hadn't found it." He put the book in his backpack. "Anyways, what were you saying?"

"I was saying that I pulled the whole 'ghosts' thing to freak out the cameraman." He gritted his teeth. "God, I hate reporters. Always shoving one microphone or another in your face and twisting what you do tell them." He stood up and picked up his walking stick. "You were talking about me. What was it?"

"Uh… It was nothing. Nothing you need to know about."

Mogura gave Yosuke and the group his signature grin. "I don't believe you at all. Just so you know."

The usually unflappable Chie almost melted under the half-glare. "Uh… We'll tell you later. S-shouldn't you be getting to class?"

The blind Yankee frowned. "Fine. But you guys had better have a good explanation. Or story." He walked out, shuffling some chairs around with his guidance staff, and the temperature in the room rose five degrees.

"Uh, who wants to make up the story?" Yosuke looked at the two girls. They both looked straight back at him. "Dammit."

-…-

**After School**

**Shopping District**

**Souzai Daigaku**

"I thought you said you were going to pay off Chie before you got steak like this." Yui put her plate down, sitting across from Yosuke at the steak vendor Yosuke was talking about.

"No. Fuck Chie. She stole my bike. I'm not paying off her for a month." He dove into his steak, speaking between bites. "I got it back, by the way. Now I just have to keep it inside. In my room. With a bike lock. Attached to my bed."

Yui laughed and rolled her eyes. "You argue with Chie way too much."

Yosuke waved the notion off. "With Chie, there is never too much arguing. Just too much mooching."

The grey-haired girl looked around. "Where is Chie, anyway?"

Hanamura shrugged, gobbling down more steak. "Mfph-Probableh lookn' for Yukiko. She didn't show up to school today. Amagi, I mean."

"Well, I know that Yukiko wasn't here today. But shouldn't we get to Junes after we're done?"

"Yeah, I guess. Chie's gonna be totally pissed, though…" He wiped his face with a napkin and looked up in alarm. "Oh, dammit…"

Yosuke Hanamura's worst nightmare stormed towards them from across the street. And she looked STEAMED.

"I was waiting for you guys at Junes and- Huh? What the hell?" She barked. "You guys are on a date? Eating steak? And you still haven't paid off my Trial of the Dragon DVD!" She pointed an accusing finger at Yosuke. "You said you'd buy ME steak!"

Suddenly, Yosuke apparently grew a pair and stood up to confront her. "Hey! You stole my bike! I had to walk five miles to school every day for the last three days! I call fair's fair and you should shut up about it."

Chie smirked unpleasantly at the auburn third-year. "Yeah, totally. Are you going to start dating girls so soon after Saki-senpai's death? That seems a little quick, don't ya think?"

At this, Yosuke became absolutely livid. "That's the last straw! You kick me in the balls, steal my bike, mooch food off of me, and now you have the audacity to imply that I never loved Saki-senpai?" He pulled out his phone. "You're out of my contacts for sure! Screw you, Satonaka!" Yosuke threw two two-thousand yen notes on the table and stormed off.

Chie waited until Yosuke had left before collapsing onto the wooden packing box that Yosuke had been sitting on and sobbing softly. "That's the second friend today…-hic-…I don't think I can go on like this…" Her face was worn red with tears, her hair tousled and certainly uncombed. Yui knew for sure something else was up.

"Two friends? You don't mean me, do you? I mean, that was kind of rude, but I can understand your anger…"

"Y-Yukiko…" She started crying again. "Yuki-kohhh…."

"Did something happen?" Yui held her friend's outstretched left hand, which shook with concealed pain.

"Wh-while I was at J-Junes, two guys s-started talking about how the Amag-gi Challeng-g-ge had been 'beaten'."

"The Amagi Challenge?" Yui's eyes widened. "You don't mean… Yukiko is…?"

Chie nodded, tears still flowing. "Yukiko hasn't ever really dated, so some of the boys made it a 'challenge' to date her. Bastards." She wiped her right eye with her sleeve. "S-So I went to check on Yukik-ko, and she had been talking to Mogura. She was really happy… she actually liked him."

"Huh? I thought she didn't go on dates…"

"Yeah… but she said she wanted to go on one with him after the inn was out of the mess it was in, to thank him for scaring off the reporters. But he-he didn't. He said he didn't want to… go out with her. Said he didn't 'have the time', and that she should ask him later. Yukiko looked deeply hurt, so I got so angry I thought I was gonna burst. So-so I went up to talk to him… But he didn't want to listen to me… So… I… I…"

She broke down in tears again. Right then, Yui's phone rang. "Shit, what _now?_" she growled. She didn't usually swear, but… "Hello?"

"_Um, Yui?" _

"Yes, Yosuke?" _Please, please, please, PLEASE… _she begged.

"_Tell Chie I'm sorry about everything I said. Geez… I never knew…"_

_Huh?_ "What's going on?"

Chie started crying again.

"Chie, please… Yosuke, tell me what's going on!"She knew that whatever came through the receiver was going to be bad, but she asked anyway.

"_Mogura's under police search."_

"WHAT?" Yui stood up. "WHY?"

"_Apparently, he fled after being assaulted… He's running mad and blind and he has a concussion. Some of the police officers even think he's the criminal…" _He gulped_. "…and Chie was the one who attacked him."_

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: WELCOME TO MAYONAKA ISLAND**

"_Welcome to Mayonaka Island…"_

"…_It could be a trap!"_

"_Sensei… She won't wake up…"_

"_YOU'RE NOT ME!"_


	6. Chapter 5: Welcome to Mayonaka Island!

{FLASHBACK}

"Yukiko, I…"

_**-!-**_

Yukiko burst out in anger. "I'm not talking to you until he's back safe and sound! That was uncalled for!"

"But he… he…" Chie wrung her hands. _Don't cry… Don't cry…_

"You kicked him in the head and he fell down a set of stairs! What were you thinking?"

"I… was just trying to… help you…" Chie stuttered.

"Help me? He wasn't attacking me! I know I was kind of angry with him, but you took that way too far, Chie! Now the Inn's gonna be under even more investigation! I… I…"

She fell silent and turned her back on her friend, walking off toward the Inn.

"Yukiko…" Chie sat down in defeat, a solitary tear running down her face. _I think I know how she feels after all of this…_ _But… Aren't we friends?_

{END FLASHBACK}

**Episode 5: Welcome to Mayonaka Island**

_Courage- Reliable_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Eloquent_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Persistent_

-Persona 4-

**Dojima Residence**

**Nighttime**

That night, all three teenagers agreed to watch the Midnight Channel. Yui had a headache already,

"Welcome to Mayonaka Island, the most beautiful resort island imaginable." A small yet beautiful island appeared clearly and in full color on the television. With scenic cliffs, a small waterfall lagoon, lots of trees, and a beautiful clean beach, it looked just like a Mediterranean paradise.

Yui licked her lips in anticipation. This would prove whether or not Mogura was the target…

Suddenly, the blind American appeared on television, sitting behind a fire in what seemed to be a cavern, sipping from a cream-colored drink and wearing a Hawaiian-style flower shirt. _"I'm Mogura Inja, and I'll be your host on this 'island of dreams.' We have activities like diving, volleyball, spelunking, sheer rock climbing, and just plain relaxing." _

That was Mogura, all right, but something definitely seemed off about him. Yui's brow furrowed. If that was his Shadow, then why didn't it give off dark mist? If it wasn't, why would he act like this?

"Mayonaka Island is the most beautiful place imaginable. With majestic grey mountains, soft green fields, and shining white beaches, there's nowhere more scenic. And there will be plenty of companionship for you ladies…" His grin made Yui feel like she was going to throw up.

Laughing, he took a sip of his drink. _"Just stay away from the sheep, and you'll do fine."_ He put down his glass. _"And best of all, it's all free! So, why delay? Hop right into this paradise of paradises!" _Then the previously cheerful face twisted into a horrible sneer and faded out into static. _"I'll be waiting…"_

Mogura's picture became blurry like the first time he appeared, and then the TV snapped off, having delivered its message.

Yui's cell phone rang. -click- "Hello?"

"What was that supposed to be? Some " Yui almost dropped the phone in surprise. "MAYONAKA ISLAND? What, does he think this is a joke or something?"

"Chie, calm down. It's probably just his Shadow."

She sighed. "Sorry. I'm still kind of mad…"

"I understand. It must be hard, having your best friend so angry at you."

Chie mumbled an inaudible reply.

-…-

"Welcome again to the Velvet Room." Igor was frowning. "This is truly an unfortunate series of events, is it not?"

Yui sighed. "Yeah… I… What am I supposed to do? I… I need to save Mogura, but if Chie comes along, she may prove more trouble than good. She's raging mad at Mogura and grieving over her friendship problem with Yukiko. And…" The Fool looked downward. "…I think she may be jealous of me."

Igor closed his eyes. "I can tell you what I can see… Two arcana are shining in your near future. You will have to draw on your bond with Yosuke if you wish to succeed in your upcoming trials."

Margaret pulled out the blue book she had open before. "The two bonds coming closest in the future, as far as I can tell, are The Chariot and The Hermit. The Chariot represents strength, force of will, and determination to achieve one's goals. The Hermit, however, is more focused on personal introspection and wisdom-seeking. While the Chariot is bold in seeking friendship and extroverted, the Hermit is very careful with its bonds, and is so more introverted."

Igor nodded. "These are two very powerful but very oppositely aligned Arcana. Those that bear these bonds will usually be in conflicts of ideals."

"Like Chie and Yosuke?" Yui scrunched her face in confusion.

A smile came onto Igor's face. "Not exactly. Those two are just in conflict because they both have spirited personalities and strong wills." He waved his hand. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Is it true that, um, the most, eh,_ personal_ relationships produce the strongest bonds?" She turned crimson. "So… For Yosuke… Could I stay… just friends… with him… If I wanted to form the strongest bond possible with him? I mean… I want to find out what's in his heart, but I'm not sure if I… You know…"

Igor chuckled. "Bonds between hearts need not be bonds between bodies, no. That would just make things unfair for all the other men you have bonds with."

"Sir!" Margaret cried out in indignation, seeing Yui's stunned reaction. "That's…"

"Just having a little fun. So, we will meet again when you need our help?"

"Yeah… Swell…" Yui coughed.

"Then awake, and face your future head-on."

-…-

**Next Day**

**Sunday, April 17**

**TV World**

When they had entered the TV, Yui did a double-take. Instead of an endless void, the TV studio drifted off into a large wooden bridge, which seemed to be connected to the Mayonaka Island that had appeared on the TV.

"Sensei!" Teddie waddled up and embraced his 'master'. "Last night, this bear-y big island appeared and Shadows have been going into it. Please help me! I've tried my bear-y hardest to stop Shadows from piling up in there, but all they do is push me around!"

Yui sighed. "I promised we'd help you, and we will. But I have to ask… Is Mogura in here?"

Teddie stepped back. "Mogura? Who's that?"

Yosuke scratched his head. "Um… He's a junior at our school, he's really tall, he's American, and he's blind, I guess."

"You guess?" Chie snorted.

Teddie sniffed the air for a few seconds, and then nodded. "He's there! He's on that island!" He pointed towards the resort.

"Great! Can you lead us to him?" Yui perked up.

Teddie shook his head. "No way! Those Shadows are way too scary! Unless…"

"Unless what?" Chie leaned forward.

"Unless you guys summon your Bear-sonas."He perked up. "By the way, Yosuke-kun! I made you some glasses!" The little bear pulled out some orange-rimmed glasses from behind him and handed them to Yosuke.

"Thanks, I guess. What do these… Woah…" He looked around. "I can totally see through the fog!"

"Um, can I get some glasses like those, Teddie? I have a hard time seeing in here, too." Chie pleaded.

"Uh-uh, Chie-chan! These glasses are bear-y hard to make, so I'm saving them for only Bear-sona users!"

"Why you-" She grabbed the bear's shoulders, but Yosuke pulled her off of Teddie.

"We don't have time for this."

"Yeah." Yui nodded and pulled out her golf club. "Let's go."

-…-

Surprisingly, it was smooth sailing. Izanagi and Jiraya floated around aimlessly, seeing as there were no Shadows around at all.

"Geez… Maybe this is a paradise." Yui looked around. There were nothing but silently grazing sheep , shiny plastic picnic tables, and green grass all the way up to the cliffs and beach. "But we'll be in for a fight when we do reach Mogura. I think his Shadow may be more powerful than it looks."

"Yeah, no duh… But you're right. This place is great. Perfect temp, nice breeze, no Shadows yet… Man, what kind of guy is this Mogura anyway?" Yosuke grinned and closed his eyes to feel the wind cooling him.

"A jerk." Chie scrutinized the horizon. "There are gonna be Shadows around here any second… Count on it."

Hanamura stopped walking and grabbed his stomach.

Yui stopped as well. "What's wrong?"

"Hey… I feel really hungry. Are you really hungry?" Yosuke turned to Yui.

Her brow furrowed. "No, I…" she licked her lips. "Now that you mention it, yeah, I am." She looked around. "Speaking of which, there's something that smells really good around here."

Yosuke waved his hand to take in the scent. "Yeah… You're right." He pointed to his left. "Hey! Look! Food!" They ran over to a turn in the path, where there was a buffet table set up with all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and sweets. The table was covered with a silken blue tablecloth, the plates were white china, and the whole table was made out of white marble and set into a similar marble plaza. The plaza itself was surrounded by porcelain statues of angels with harps.

For a second, Yui thought, _It's like someone expected us… _but then she brushed the thought away. What was important now was the food. Between a German chocolate cake with cherries on top and a platter of red sugar cookies shaped like hearts, there was a platter of diverse truffles.

"Hey… Why isn't there any meat?" Chie pouted. Yosuke shrugged and sat down, pulling a bowl filled with rice in it towards him. "Yosuke!" she slapped him over the head.

"Ow… what?" the slacker rubbed the back of his head, still staring hungrily at the meal before him.

Chie sighed. "We don't know who set this table or who made the food! It could be a trap!"

But Yosuke was too busy eating up the bowl of sweet sticky rice to listen.

"Fine! Get poisoned or whatever! Yui, can you help me-" Yui was delicately picking the spherical chocolates off of a plate and popping them into her mouth.

"Sensei! Stop!" Teddie tried to pull Yui away from the table, but she ignored him, not budging an inch. "This is bear-ry bad…"

"I'll say…" Chie gritted her teeth and looked back and forth between her friends in confusion. "Guys, come on… Remember why we came here?"

Suddenly, the cherubs started playing their harps and singing softly.

Sleep, my friends,

Sleep without dreaming,

Sleep, my friends,

Sleep without feeling…

Chie's eyes began to feel heavy.

"Chie-chan!" Teddie ran up to her, but she collapsed softly onto the marble, snoring softly.

The song became softer but stronger.

Sleep, my friends…

Yosuke's head fell, knocking over his bowl and spilling sticky rice all over his face. He didn't seem to mind. He was too sleepy to care. Teddie was panicking. "Sensei!" The plush figure dashed towards the tottering girl.

Sleep without dreaming…

Yes… There was nothing she felt like doing more than sleeping.

Sleep, my friends…

One nap couldn't hurt… She lay herself down on the floor.

Sleep without feeling…

She could just close her eyes for a second…

…

…

…

_STOP IT!_ A voice screamed out in her mind. She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by darkness, but one figure stood out from the darkness.

"Jack-o-Lantern?"

The Magician Persona hovered before her, the lamp he carried burning brightly. _Well?_ It said, _Are you going to give up on Yosuke so easily? Are you going to give up on your friend for the sake of a nap?_

She stared at it for a second before collecting herself. "No. I'm not. And I'm not going to give up on Chie or Teddie either. We have a job to do."

The smile that was carved into the pumpkin-head's face seemed to turn upwards on the ends even more. _Good answer, Partner!_

Jack-o-Lantern's lantern suddenly glowed more brightly than ever, driving the darkness back and revealing their location. The table where they had been eating was bare and cracked, and the sky dark and cheerless. Where there appeared to be a beautiful but empty resort there was really nothing but an abandoned vacation destination. _So this whole place was an illusion?_ Par to the course, the cherub statues were actually winged gargoyles, and they were surrounding Yosuke and Chie, chattering with delight and preparing to 'dig in' to her friends. A flash of blue light, and Jack-o-Lantern scorched them with a burst of flame.

"Agi!"

An unlucky Lotus-eater's tunic caught on fire, causing it to scream in agony before dissolving into black mist.

Teddie, who was trying to wake up Chie, looked up and cheered. "Sensei! You're awake!"

The other Shadows scattered into the surrounding darkness quickly, but they didn't leave for long. Pitch-black arrows flew out from scraggly bushes nearby and scratched the schoolgirl's cheeks and legs with light scars. Yui ignored the pain and ran over to Yosuke.

She bit her lip, raised her hand above her head, and slapped him dead across the face. "Wake up, you sleepy bastard!" The impact sent him falling out of the chair and sprawling onto the ground. "Ow! What the hell was-" He looked up. "Oh."

He pulled himself up from the ground and pulled his pair of wrenches out.

"Persona!" Jiraya flew off to assist Jack -o-Lantern before Yosuke realized that Izanagi-jo wasn't fighting. "Huh? Where's Ms. Gang Leader?"

Yui made a sour face. "I-I'm able to control different Personae, but only one at a time. That's Jack-o-Lantern." She pointed to the tiny pumpkin-headed being. "He was formed… out of my Social Link with you…"

"Social Link?" Yosuke winced as Jiraya took a heavy hit. "What's that?"

"Um…" Yui blushed, and then directed Jack out of the way as another dive-bombing devil flew towards the fighters. "I get stronger Personae the better the… uh relationship I have with you."

Yosuke thought for a second, and a sneaky smile formed on his face. "Say… Do you wanna…" He poked her with his elbow.

Yui cut him off with a glare.

Jack-o-Lantern pitched fire at the Shadows, and for some reason, they seemed to be even more afraid of the smaller fire-based Persona.

"They must be weak to fire!" Yui snapped her fingers.

"Uh, you mean the Shadows? I guess…" He looked at the battle and cried out, "Garu!"

Jiraya spun around and a gust of wind picked up the airborne fiends, keeping them from flying correctly. This left them as sitting ducks for Jack-o-Lantern to pick off one-by one.

As the Shadows flew off, Yui ran over to a still-sleeping Chie. Teddie looked melodramatic as usual, waving his arms and jumping from one foot to another like the floor was on fire.

"Sensei… She won't wake up… I tried everything my little bear-ain could think of!"

"Shut up, you stupid bear… We know that…" Yosuke saw that the bear was really worried and tousled his head. "She's gonna be alright…"

Yui bent down on one knee to see the snoring martial artist better. "Chie… Are you okay?" She shook her friend. "Chie? C'mon, answer me!"

Yosuke moved her aside. "Let me do this." He cleared his throat and put his mouth next to Satonaka's left ear. "HEY! CHIE! MOGURA'S RIGHT OVER THERE! WITH YUKIKO!"

This earned him a smarting jaw and one very awake Chie.

"What- Yosuke!" She popped him in the shoulder. "I told you guys not to eat the food. But did you listen? Nooooo…"

Yosuke winced and smiled. "Yep, she's back!"

Everyone had a good laugh at this.

"We should probably be heading back… Everyone's tired, and we need to go back before we fall into another one of the traps these goblins have been placing."

"Yeah…" She looked around. "Geez… What happened to this place? Is this what the landscape of Mogura's mind is really like? I'm not really surprised… but…"

"_**Yours is no better, Chie-san."**_ The haunting sound of Mogura's voice drifted over the hills. _**"You act so tough, like you're trying to protect people, but in reality, you're just plain violent…"**_ He sighed.

"_**Women are so vicious. It's true when people say that 'Hell hath no wrath as a women scorned'. People always think men are aggressive… men are angry… men are lumbering cavemen that need to be tamed by the 'softer' gender. Ha! Bullshit. Women may look pretty and act sweet, but they're always ready to cut up anyone emotionally or physically if it suits them. Like Cleopatra. Ms. Egypt killed herself using an asp. How appropriate. That power whore effectively sold out her country to get on the arm of more powerful men. Twice. " **_

Chie clenched her fists. "Let's get to this guy and quickly. I can't stand listening to his thoughts."

"_**You're a great example, Satonaka. Shoving a blind guy down a flight of stairs? You might as well push me off a bridge. And this was just because I didn't want to go out with your friend yet. I had only known Yukiko for two weeks. How was I supposed to know she liked me?"**_

Chie's brow furrowed in rage. "I was cruel? In case you couldn't tell, she was crushed! You couldn't tell how she felt by how she talked to you? Of course she would get angry at you, you heartless snob!"

Teddie looked down and tapped his paws together. "Chie-chan, why are you so angry at him? Shouldn't you feel beary guilty about hurting him like that?"

"Shut up, you stupid bear! This has nothing to do with you!"

**_"It goes whether they're being pursued or pursuing. I once asked a girl out I had been flirting with for a whole year, and she not only rejected me, but left the school because I asked her. I was in shock for weeks." _**

Yosuke tapped his chin in thought. "So that's why… that makes sense…"

"Yosuke, are you taking his side?" Chie pointed accusingly at the Junes heir.

"N-no, I was just saying-"

"Of course you would! You would after what happened to Saki-senpai!"

Yosuke's eyes bulged in anger. "SHUT THE HELL UP! I JUST MEANT I UNDERSTAND HOW HE FELT!"

Yui stomped her foot and stepped between them. "Stop it, guys!" she turned to Chie. "Chie, he's not supporting Mogura, just saying that it's understandable considering his situation."

Chie sneered. "So now you're against me too? Are you and Yosuke an item now? Huh?"

"CHIE-CHAN!" Yui screamed. Chie swallowed and crossed her arms, obviously biting back rage.

"Listen, Chie. Mogura never said he hated Yukiko, just that he was angry at the girl that rejected him. When he was rejected, he must have been as devastated as Yukiko was. He must have felt vengeful and decided to take it out on Yuki-chan."

"That's no excuse!" Chie yelled.

Yosuke crossed his arms. "Look, Chie, we can't have you getting this angry. We're going to have to go back if you keep on going like this."

Mogura's voice continued to speak, unheedful of the bickering team. _**"That's why I rejected Yukiko. Not because she was a bad date, but because I didn't want a girl who would use my blindness to pull stuff behind my back. I can't see out of my eyes, but I also can't see a girl's true intentions. When I hear what Yukiko was going through, it seemed like she was just gonna use me as a wall against the world. If there's something I can't stand… It's being used. And women like to use guys they just met."**_

Chie waved her fists at empty air. "Shut UP! Yukiko wasn't going to use you to hide from the world… If she wanted, support she could just ask me for help!"

Yui grabbed Chie's shoulder. "Chie, please. "

"NO!" Chie screamed. "I'M SICK AND FUCKING TIRED OF LISTENING TO THIS GUY WHINE ABOUT HOW CRUEL HE SAYS WOMEN ARE! SCREW KICKING HIM! I _**WILL **_TOSS HIM OFF OF A BRIDGE!"

Yosuke stepped back. "Shit, Chie…"

Chie turned around and started back on the path to Junes.

"I'm going back! Screw you guys!"

Yosuke walked after her. "Chie… please…"

He grabbed Chie by the shoulder. She brushed him off and faced him, fire in her eyes. "Get off me!"

Yui drew in a breath. "Chie, get ahold of yourself."

She glared at the leader now. "How about we let Mogura rot in here, huh? Maybe then he'll learn his lesson!"

"**Yeah. How 'bout we?"**

-!-

"W-what? Who-"

A figure stepped out of the shadows behind a statue. Or, more appropriately, the shadows stepped into a figure. Green jacket, brown bowl cut… sport skirt…

"Chie's lost control of her repressed self! Now it's a Shadow!" Teddie whimpered. "Just like with Yosuke!"

"What are you talking about? That was Yosuke's repressed self?" Chie looked at her friend uncertainly.

"**I'd be more concerned about myself, if I were you… which I am…"**

"But- but _I'm_ me! You couldn't…" Chie was desperately digging for straws. Yui could tell she already knew the truth after having seen Yosuke.

"**Women are soooo cruel… soooo vicious… Pretty on the outside, poisonous on the inside… How true that is…" **It stepped forward lazily, as if meeting a friend at the school entrance before classes.

The human put up her fists in defense. "How… how can you say that? Weren't you listening?"

"**Oh, I was listening, all right… I am you, you know…"**

"That doesn't make any sense…"

"**Except I don't follow that rule… I try to be like men…"**

"Huh?"

"…**Men are up-front with their hated and anger… they don't stab you in the back… they don't put on a shiny smile as they plot your doom…"**

Chie clenched her fists… "You take that back! I… I act like a girl… I like being a girl…"

"… **But I have one difference…"**

Chie blinked and stepped back, shaking her head in fear.

"…**Yukiko…"**

Chie swallowed, and her gaze fell to the ground in humiliation.

"**I treat Yukiko like she's my best friend… she's sooo important to me that I don't want to lose her to some delinquent assholes." **Shadow Chie grinned. **"But you know… the real reason I do it is because I'm just like her…"**

Rage shook the martial arts student head to toe.

"… **Except worse, in every way. Yukiko's soooo feminine… soooo fair-skinned… she's the one all the boys drool over."**

Yosuke moved to comfort his friend, but Yui motioned that this was not the time.

"**That's why I protect her. Since we've been friends since childhood, if Yukiko gets a date, I have to get one too or risk becoming a third wheel. I'm already living in her shadow… I don't want to go from 'Chie-san' to 'Yukiko's friend'. And I don't have any guy-appealing attributes myself, so I have to keep boys away from Yukiko."**

"Shut…Up… You…"

"**How to fix that problem… Hmm…"** The doppleganger tapped her chin and raised a finger in mock creation of an idea. **"I know! I'll go around, protecting my DEAR FRIEND Yukiko from the evil boys that try to go out with her…So I did. All was well. I could act as tomboyishly as I wanted and never have to fear abandonment. I became forcible, like Mogura said, to protect not only Yukiko… But me."**

Chie covered her ears, whimpering, "That's not true… That's not true…"

A sneer formed on the shadow's face.** "But when Mogura appeared, I got scared. I had to knock him out of the running… and fast. Yukiko seemed really attracted to him, even though he didn't seem interested in her. It seemed that the Amagi Challenge was finally going to be met."**

"You… Can't…"

"**I couldn't attract him myself… I didn't want to… even though he was pretty studly, he was still a chauvinistic douchebag. So I was thrilled when he flat-out rejected Yukiko. I had an excuse to beat his ass and defend Yukiko at the same time… It was perfect. My control over Yukiko was reestablished."**

"You're not…" Tears began to fall down her face.

"Chie! STOP!" Yosuke cried.

"**So that's me… the power-grabbing little bitch who can't do anything on her own, so she tries to ride off of Amagi's coattails. Yukiko's not the attention whore… I am."**

Chie screamed at the top of her lungs, "_YOU"RE NOT ME!"_

Chie's Shadow chuckled. **"Please. You really think you can make me go away by denying me? As if!"**

Thick red smoke surrounded her, drawn off from the remains of the fallen gargoyles.

"We need to protect Chie now!" Teddie looked sterner than usual. The two Persona-users prepared their weapons. "Dammit, Chie…" Yosuke grumbled.

"**Now, I can finally be free!"** Shrieking with evil laughter, the Shadow transformed into a dominatrix wearing yellow leather and sitting on top of a group of stone schoolgirls. **"Let's get this party started!"**

Chie stepped back, mouth gaping in horror. Her doppelganger gazed at her with faux sympathy.** "Aww, am I scaring you? Or are you just disgusted that I came out of you?"** She pulled out a whip and cracked it. **"Either way, I'm gonna have some fun with you and your friends. I hope you don't mind, ME."**

"No! Don't!" Chie jumped forward, but the whip cracked six inches in front of her face and she fell back in surprise.

"**On second thought, I think I'll get rid of you first!"** Shadow Chie pulled her arm back and prepared to strike.

"Not on my watch! Izanagi-jo!" Yui jumped in front of the whip and crushed her card. Her Persona's blade-staff was grabbed by the whip, but Izanagi stood her ground, holding onto the weapon with a determined look in her eye.

"Jiraya!" The wind spirit blew up a tornado, tipping over the Shadow's pile of 'friends' and sending the target sprawling.

"**No! You…"** The shadow tried to pull itself to its feet. **"You can't be strong enough to beat me. That's not possible."**

"Hell yeah!" Yosuke grinned. "Now's our chance!"

"Let's go!" Yui drew her golf club.

"Ready or not, here we come!" Yosuke spun a wrench around on one finger.

Between swings, whip scratches, and the fiend's shrieks of pain, it soon became hard for Yui to see where she was. As soon as she saw a shape in all the confusion, she struck it with all her might. Eventually, the pair stumbled out, wheezing and coughing but full on adrenaline.

"Whew. I think we did some serious damage." Yui let her golf club fall to her side.

"Let's see her get up after that!" Yosuke muttered.

"**Oh, yeah? Don't get so cocky!" **

Yosuke and Yui turned around, Personae ready. The dust cleared, revealing Chie's Shadow had somehow managed to right herself, though she looked really tired.

"**You guys are so damn serious… and we've only just begun!"** She pulled her whip back out and caught Yosuke's throat in a flash.

"Geh… Partner…" he struggled to pull the choking rope off of him, dropping his wrenches in the process. The dominatrix screeched in delight and lifted him up in the air. **"Scream for me!" **

"Hell… no… Jiraya!" His Persona flew up to fight but was met by chains that burst out of the ground at the Shadow's feet. Some other chains nabbed Izanagi, rendering both Personas useless. As much as they pushed up and tried to shake off the chains, the weight just grew heavier. Yui felt her own body being crushed under cold steel.

"**You're no fun… Let's end this!"** With a crack and a painful gasp from Yosuke, Chie's shadow bathed herself in evil red light, and power crackled along the chains. With her next attack, she might well finish them both off.

"Chie…" Yui whimpered. "Run…"

"No… Dammit…" Chie looked up and wiped tears out of her eyes. "Please… Please don't die…"

Yui forced her hand up to grab the card in front of her. "Jack-o-Lantern!"

As her Persona changed size instantaneously, the chains fell to the ground, useless. The pumpkin-head released Jiraya by melting the chains that bound him and flew out of reach. As fast as the binds went, Jack was both more agile and faster. He turned around, melting even more chains and causing Shadow Chie to flinch.

-Burning Up! (Yosuke)-

Even while his face tinged purple, Yosuke smiled. "C'mon, Jiraya! Garu!"

With a huge breath, Jiraya pushed a full-force gust toward the Shadow. But the yellow-clad girl sneered. **"Not this time! Green Wall!"**

When the wind came within three feet of her, it lost its momentum and dispersed.

"Aw, no way!" Yosuke struggled to escape the bind around his neck, making it pull tighter. He gasped for air, but his hands were losing their grip. He would soon become a Hanged Man if this didn't end, and fast. With a flick of the wrist and a dodging of chains, Yui called back her Fool card.

"Izanagi-jo! Zio!"

The red-headed fighter replaced Jack, hacking chains in half and flying at astronomical speed to strike. She raised her staff, charged with thunder energy.

"Wait!" Chie pulled herself, up, her eyes full of tears. Izanagi jerked to a halt, but stayed a careful distance away from the Shadow. "Put him down! Please!"

"**And why should I do that?"** Chie's double clucked.** "I like being in control, remember?"**

"B… Because I'm you!" She stuttered and broke down. "I… I'm so sorry, Yukiko…-sniff-… I couldn't protect you… No… I never really needed to protect her… I… I just thought I was useful because I was trying to save her… But she never really needed saving…"

"**Of course she needs saving? What are we for then?"**

"I'm her friend!" Chie cried. "Her friend, not her knight in armor. I don't need to save someone to be important."

The Shadow looked confused. **"But… I can't do anything on my own… I… I'm not worth being friends with by myself…I… Need Yukiko to be important."**

"That's not true…" Yui stepped forward. "We're your friends, whether Yukiko is with you or not. Isn't that right, Yosuke?" She looked up to see Yosuke still struggling.

"Yeah…-cough-… If you could please lower me down, I could show how I'm your friend a whole lot better than I can up here."

Yosuke was lowered gently to about three feet from the ground and tossed down from there. "Ow… Thanks, I guess?" He rubbed his rear again.  
>The Shadow looked at him expectantly.<p>

"Huh? Oh, yeah… Um…" He blushed abashedly. "Even though I was really angry with you over how you treated Yui and me at that restaurant, I sucked up my pride and admitted..." He sighed again. "I judged you wrong. I didn't know that it was really your argument with Yukiko that made you so angry. I'm… I'm sorry. And… I owe you this."

He pulled several bills out of his pocket, counted them, and handed them to Chie. She almost started crying. "This is for Trial of the Dragon…"

Chie put the money in her pocket and hugged Yosuke tightly. "Thanks…"

He had his arms held up above the embrace, but he relented and returned the hug. "Hey, no problem."

Yui looked happy to see her two friends reconcile with one another.

After breaking away from Yosuke, Chie turned back to her Shadow.

"If… Yukiko really likes a guy… I guess I should leave them be…"

"**But what kind of a friend would we be if we let her get hurt like that?" **The Shadow moaned. **"What if the guy really breaks her heart?" **

"Then we can help her… We can cross that bridge when we come to it." She paused. " I… think that I need to step back for a bit and let Yukiko live her own life. The way she handled her rejection… She really is strong. We can be friends, not guard and guarded."

Shadow Chie looked up. **"I… feel like that would be a truer friendship than what is going on now. Like we were when we were children. But I... I want to feel needed."**

"Then we can help our friends when they need it… Not before…" Chie held out her hand.

"**That sounds like a plan… Me…"** The Shadow flickered.

Jiraya nodded and hovered backwards before inhaling so hard he created a small vacuum. He turned to the Shadow and exhaled, causing a soft wind to brush away the flickering dominatrix like it was made of black sand. However, once dispersed, the sand pulled back together again to construct a second female figure, except this one was an actual warrior carrying a double-bladed staff. The tall white helmet tipped in deference to Chie.

_For showing strength of heart and turning away from the selfishness in your friendships, I have been made manifest from the sea of your soul…_

_I am Tomoe, the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

_I art thou… and thou art I._

With a soft blue glow, a card replaced the Persona and floated down to Chie, just as it had done for Yosuke. Chie cupped her hands and caught the falling object. It flashed and disappeared when it touched her skin.

"So… Now I have the same power as you guys?"

Yosuke slapped Chie on the back. "Welp, now you're stuck with us too, because there's no way we're letting you run around wild with that thing."

"Welcome to the Investigation Team." Yui held out her hand, and Chie accepted it.

"Chie-chan! I made you some glasses." The little furball held out a pair of yellow-rimmed glasses, identical to the other two. Chie snatched them and put them on. "Thanks, but how'd you make them so fast?"

"Well, actually, Chie-chan… I made them before you came back… I thought you'd get a Bear-sona, but I wanted to make bear-y sure!" The plushy doll sniggered.

"You little furball! I…" She sighed in defeat. "Thanks… Let's go get Mogura. I'm going to enjoy beating him to a pulp, just for myself."

She tried to walk and collapsed. Yosuke caught her arm when she was halfway to the ground. "Yeah, you're not going anywhere. C'mon, let's get you back home." He put his arm under her shoulder to support her, causing Chie to cough and turn her face away.

Yui stared up at an upcropping of rock about a mile away. There was a gaping cave in the side of the sheer face. The path twisted and turned, but it eventually led up to the cave's entrance.

"He's not going anywhere either."

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: BLINDMAN'S BLUFF**

"_Do I need a woman…?"_

"_Shut up, you fool!"_

"_You think you can just go around doing whatever the hell you want?"_

"_**YOU"RE JUST A LITTLE PEST!"**_


	7. Chapter 6: Blindman's Bluff

Author's Note: I'm going to allow anonymous reviewing from now on. Please do not use the chance to type explicitives or promote deconstructive criticism. Neither of those things produce anything of use.

-...-

"Okay, so what do we know?" Chie slammed her hand down on the table.

Yui drummed her fingers on the Junes table. "Well, um, the Shadows seem to ignore us until we've become distracted or weak, they're weak to fire, and Mogura's probably in that cave at the top of the hill."

There was a short pause.

"Wow. We don't know shit, do we?" Yosuke moaned.

Yui forced a grin. "Yep. Investigation Team, let's move out!"

"That's another thing. Can't we call ourselves the 'TV Hunters or something?"

Chie grabbed him by the ear. "Come on, Investigation Team member."

"Natch."

-…-

**Episode 6: Blindman's Bluff**

_Courage- Brave_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Eloquent_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Persistent_

-Persona 4-

-…-

When they came through the TV again, the island's former glory seemed to have returned. The sun was shining, the road looked freshly paved, and the fields were filled with fluffy white sheep. Yi looked around and blinked. Sheep?

"What the? What're all these sheep doing in our way?" Yosuke stepped forward. "Ah, well. Some practice like this should be good." He put out his hand, but Yi stopped him.

"Wait… Did you hear what Mogura said on the Midnight Channel? "

Chie tapped her chin. "You mean, 'stay away from the sheep'? Yeah, I remember."

"So, why don't we just ask our Personae nicely if we can fly over?"

The other two nodded.

"Jiraya!"

"Tomoe!" The two Personae picked up their masters without hesitation. However, the sheep seemed to be disturbed by this.

_Baaaa... Baaaa…_

"Uh… guys… wait… I don't think this is such a good idea." Yi waved her hand to signal them to come down. But it was too late. The sheep had gathered around the trio, and they looked mad. Their fur began to color pink, then red. The skin on their faces disappeared, revealing bleached skulls with no eyes in their eye sockets.

"You know what? Let's get at 'em!" Yi swung her golf club side to side and pulled out her glowing blue card. "Izanagi-jo!"

The longcoat-wearing Persona pulled out her bladed staff and swung a perimeter for the other two fighters. Jiraya jumped into action, but was soon cut off by several runic circles that appeared in front of the now red-fleeced sheep. A few of them dissolved without distress, but one exploded, sending Jiraya reeling and flickering weakly. Yosuke himself fell to the ground in a flash.

"Yosuke!" Yi cried.

"Don't worry about them! I'll handle it! Just heal Yosuke!"

Yi nodded and popped a bottle of medicine open, shoving the pills down the slacker's throat.

"Ugh… Thanks." Yosuke stood up. "M… Media…"

Jiraya bathed itself and Yosuke in a shower of healing light, causing the auburn-haired Magician to pump his fist. "Hell yeah! Let's go!"

As Jiraya flew back to the battle, Chie appeared to be handling Tomoe very well for a first time Persona User. The physical-strength Persona ripped sheep after sheep into shreds with huge sweeping strikes. Jiraya was hovering above, throwing equally effective windstorms and bladed discs into the fray. However, Izanagi-jo dominated the fight, leaving in her wake a veritable cloud of shadows. Twirling her blade above her head, she summoned a lightning bolt that vaporized a small herd.

"Bear-y well done, Sensei, Yosuke-kun, and Chie-chan! You cleared the whole area!" Teddie hopped from one foot to another.

A swift kick to the plushy figure indicated Chie's displeasure towards the presumptive honorable.

"DON'T call me 'Chie-chan'."

"Whatever you say, Chie-c…san."

Yosuke sighed. "Damn, I'm tired. Could we go back for some drinks? I, uh, feel like my spiritual energy is down?" He grimaced guiltily. Neither of the girls believed him for a second, and for good reason.

Yui glared at him, pulled something out of the backpack she carried, and pitched it to him. "Here, drink up."

"Is this… TaP?" He caught the silver can and raised an eyebrow. Yi nodded.

"Something like that. Drink it and let's go."

He gulped it down and crushed the can under his heel, putting the remains in his pocket.

"Thanks, Partner. I actually do feel a lot better now." He nodded, and they continued.

-…-

The deadly sheep's green fields ended abruptly at the start of the deep, dark cave Yui had seen earlier.

There were a set of porch chairs and a table to the right. Yui put her hands on the smooth white surface and recognized the material instanly. Her skin crawled as she drew her hand away from the furniture made from bone.

A distant-sounding version of Mogura's voice started echoing from the back of the cave.

Mogura's thoughts began to talk again. _"Do I need a woman to keep me in check, as people are always saying about men? I want to be strong and smart at the same time. What's wrong with that? Why are my emotions always running rampant? Ugh!" _

Chie sighed. "I still can't stand it when he talks like that, even when I know it's his Shadow. I just... mmph."

The voice faded deeper into the cave. Chie breathed in deeply and then marched into the darkness, with Yui and Yosuke trailing behind her.

Soon, a light appeared inside the cave, and they found a huge cavern with a gigantic bonfire in the center of it. The two Moguras were arguing right next to it.

"Shut up, you fool! You can't just say that women are responsible for all the world's problems!"

"**I never said such a thing. I merely said that emotions are the cause of all disorder, and women are the highest producers of emotion." **

"That's bull! Men get pissed as much as women, if not more! Didn't you see how I flipped shit over Chie kicking me?" Mogura looked like he was gonna blow a fuse right there. But his counterpart just took another sip of his drink and laughed.

"**Of course I did. But you only got mad after Chie did. She and other women haven't learned yet that emotions are to be suppressed. We learned that very quickly, DIDN'T WE?"**

Mogura's face flushed red. "Emotions are good! How would we be able to confront a seriously deep problem? We'd just ignore it. Or how would we make friendships? There'd be no reason!"

"**Both of these are correct."**

"So what are you saying?"

Shadow Mogura wagged his finger**. "Ah, ah, ah. Pronoun trouble. It's 'What am **_**I**_** saying?', not 'what are **_**YOU**_** saying?' "**

"You're not making any sense!" Mogura gritted his teeth. "We're talking about your reasoning, not mine!"

"**But they are the same thing! After all, I am you."**

Mogura dropped his walking-stick out of surprise and fell on the ground grabbing for it, muttering, "That's impossible… He's not lying, but… There's no way!"

"**My opinions are your opinions. There's no use denying it!"**

Mogura picked up his stick and stood up.

"Denying what? I-I don't understand! Is this some sort of joke?"

"**You say emotions are good, but you're as cold as ice. Colder than the 'frigid bitch', as Amagi Le Crybaby is called. Seriously! As soon as we rejected her, she ran off to Chie, crying like a three-year-old!"**

"Shut up! She has nothing to do with this! Also, you just can't say things like that!"

"**Oh, but I can. She bothers us, remember?"**

Mogura gulped and hung his head in shame. "That- No! Shut UP!"

"**That's right! She's a 'bother'! So's anybody else! Just because you're an exchange student, you think you can insult or reject whoever the fuck you want! You won't let anybody be friends with you! You think friendship is for losers, and that emotions are for the foolish."**

"No, I don't! Stop!"

"**Of course, I agree with you. Emotions are only to be unleashed on those that you hate! Like Chie. Damn woman shoved me down a flight of stairs! We ought to shove HER down a flight of stairs and see how SHE feels!" **

"I don't- NO!"

"**Just reject everybody! That way, you don't have to deal with anybody but girls like her! Then you can get rid of them and have your life free of the idiots that would get in your way! That's what you really think, isn't it? You strand yourself on an island of isolation anyway! You look pretty for the picture, then scare everybody off when they get too close."**

"That's not what I'm trying to do…"

"**It's all because you're a worthless blind guy that looks good on top, but has no real meaning or worth under all the 'handsomeness' people say you have. Girls think you're so cool, but in reality, you're just a tied-up ball of emotions that got tossed to Japan so that your own family could get rid of you!"**

This was obviously a very sharp topic. "No, dammit! I love Japan… The culture, the food, the…"

"**You don't even know what you should be doing with your life. You have no real friends, you reject everybody who tries to be kind to you, and there's nothing but balled-up rage under that thick skull of yours. Admit it!"**

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you're talking about, but I do know who you're NOT, and that's ME!"

Shadow Mogura started flickering red. A guttural growl escaped his throat, and his chest started rising and falling steadily. He looked up at his self with a glare that could melt steel, gripping his glass so hard it shattered, and dripped pina colada on the floor of the cave.

"**So, you reject me, too. I thought you'd learn after putting a wall between you and everyone you know! But NOOOOooooo! You even reject me- You reject YOURSELF! You're worse than that girl we loved. You're TEN THOUSAND TIMES WORSE! BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER, BECAUSE I'M NOT YOU ANYMORE!'**

The exchange student tossed his glasses and the remains of his refreshment to the ground, reared back like a werewolf, and gave an unearthly howl. Mogura started shaking all over as he felt the dark wind pull misty shadow toward his doppelganger. Darkness not dispersed by the fire caused Shadow Mogura to distort and swell until he formed a monstrous blind giant carrying a club. It pointed at its original, a bloody dead eye glaring at him in hate.

"**I AM A SHADOW, THE TRUE SELF! I'M GOING TO USE ALL OF MY EMOTION TO WIPE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO REJECTS ME OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!"**

The Shadow gave a huge roar and swung at Chie. Yosuke dove and tackled her out of the way. The rock split with a sickening crunch where the club came down.

"Get off of me!" Chie pushed off Yosuke and summoned her card. "TOMOE!" The Persona flew toward her foe, twisting her bladed staff until slicing the Cyclops straight in the eye. The monster howled and swung blindly, nearly slapping Yi aside.

Yi rolled out of the way and crawled to her feet. "Izanagi!"

Yosuke grumbled at his unappreciated heroics, but quickly smiled, jumping and slashing with his kunai. "Throw down! Persona!" Jiriaya appeared and flew to support his comrades.

Tomoe appeared to be fighting much harder than either of the two other Personae; she flew around, slicing the one-eyed giant all over the chest, face, and arms.

"You think you can just go around doing whatever the hell you want? I'll take you down myself!"

Another flurry of strikes, and the shadow stared smoking in anger.

"**YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE PEST!"** The shadow managed a lucky grab and caught Tomoe by the legs. Struggling to get free, the yellow-armo red warrior continued to pound out its anger on Mogura's Shadow.

"**I'M GOING TO SNAP YOU IN HALF! THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR MESSING WITH POLYPHEMUS!"**

He grabbed Tomoe's upper half with his other hand and began trying to break her spine. Chie fell to the ground, her back spasming in pain. "Eyaaaah!" She twisted to her side and trembled on the ground.

"Stop it!" Mogura stood up for the first time since the Shadow had changed. Polyphemus looked towards the sound and hesitated for a split second. That's all it took for Jiriaya to blow a tornado in his face. The cyclops cursed and dropped Tomoe. Izanagi-jo caught her and laid her on the ground before returning to the fight.

Shadow Mogura looked sweaty and worn. **"All right then! Let's even the odds, shall we?"**

He kicked the fire out, and suddenly the whole room went dark.

Yosuke grumbled. "Dammit! First he puts Chie out of action and now he cut the lights!"

Yui focused and called back Izanagi.

_**-Burning Up!-**_

"Pyro Jack! Get out here!" The fire persona burned into existence, then gave an evil grin as it held out its lantern toward Polyphemus.

"Yosuke! It's visible now! Get at it!"

"All right, Partner!"

With the giant roaring and cursing at Pyro Jack's constant flow of fire, Yosuke was able to pause and heal Chie. A wave of relieving energy ran through the martial artist's spine and she slowly made her way to her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled to Yosuke. "I'm sorry I got so angry at you."

Suddenly, Mogura's face distorted, and a wave of memories flooded into his head.

"Did they hurt you, Big Bro?"

"I've never had a blind friend before."

"That worthless kid can't even get good grades!"

"We should hang out more often… "

"Stop it, Dad! It's not his fault he's blind!"

"What kind of Hanson are you, that you won't join the military?"

And then, the devastator. The words he had heard a thousand times within his own mind.

"I think you're really nice, but I can't be your girlfriend…"

They burned with a sharper pain than ever, pounding his mind over and over again.

"I can't be…"

The sadness was overwhelming, sweeping over his bent body in a tidal wave. They had gone out for ice cream so many times, had so many special moments together. Soon after she had refused him, she disappeared entirely. It was said that she had to leave for her parent's job.

"You're really nice…"

_That's enough._

Mogura looked up as the scathing memory faded from his mind. He could feel the warm heat of a fire in front of him, and the voice that had spoken to him was that of an old man.

"Who are you?"

_A man of heavy sorrows, like yourself. Both of us have lost something dear to us._

"So why am I here?"

_Because I have been called to teach you a lesson._

Mogura straightened his jaw. "I will listen."

_Good. In my experience, emotions have been both my enemy and my friend. I find that the best thing to do with emotions is to hold on to the one you are experiencing, feel it completely, and then let it go when appropriate._

"I… Think… I understand you."

_Excellent. Now awaken, and see my power rise to its full extent._

"What?"

_I art thou. Thou art I._

And Mogura stood up to hear the sounds of battle and the roar of a frustrated giant.

"I see. I had just been trying to shield myself from my emotions… I knew that emotions brought me pain as well as happiness, so I tried to get rid of them in order to save myself some pain. "

"Mogura?" Yui looked astounded. Even more astounded was Polyphemus.

"I put up shields, like you said, when I really should have been letting myself full experience my emotions, understand them, and let them go. You were- WE were- right."

"**SHUT UP! YOU'RE JUST SAYING THAT TO MAKE ME GO AWAY, AREN'T YOU?"** Mogura's Shadow flickered and clutched its head.

"Listen to me! If you really are me, then you can tell by hearing me that I'm telling the truth!"

"**THAT… THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT! YOU WERE REJECTING ME SO HARSHLY BEFORE! YOU COULDN'T HAVE CHANGED YOUR MIND SO QUICKLY!"**

"You know as well as I do that humans are very fickle when it comes to their life's outlook. I may have been stuck in a rut, but when people really do grasp the truth their view on things can change enormously very fast!"

Mogura stood up to the fullness of his considerable height.

"I tried to push away friendship and love in order to protect myself from all of the embarrassment, sadness, and anger that comes from learning about people. I lost all of the joy that comes from forming relationships because I was too afraid of being hurt."

"**UGGH… YOU… YOU REALLY DO MEAN IT…" **Polyphemus fell to one knee and started flickering rapidly.

Teddie hopped up and down excitedly. "It's just like the other two! Defeat it while it's down!"

"Full force Assault!" Yosuke spun his kunai in expectation.

"Granted!"

"Good Answer! Get him!"

With a flurry of sweeping attacks, the Shadow slowly fell apart until the human-sized figure collapsed and lay on the ground shaking. Mogura stood up and limped over to the static-like wheezing.

"It wasn't other people that were rejecting me… I was rejecting myself. I thought if I formed bonds, then I would fail and hurt myself and others, like when I was rejected. I never wanted to feel that pain again, so I hid my real feelings away. I was scared people thought I was worthless because I was blind. I rejected you… I rejected me."

He felt his way to the ground and placed a hand on his shadow's chest. "You are me… And I am you…"

The shadow nodded, dissolving into blue light. A slightly hunchback figure in tattered purple robes and rusty armor floated into the air. He wore a dark red bandanna over his mouth and his eyes had been torn up until the sockets were covered in congealed blood. Green fire took the place of open eyes as it looked down at its master.

_For showing strength of heart and facing your fear of rejection with wisdom beyond age, I have been made manifest from the sea of your soul…_

_I am Oedipus Rex, the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

_I art thou… and thou art I._

As the Persona descended, Mogura reached out to it. When it had entered him, he lay down in exhaustion. Teddie skipped up to Yi and hugged her tightly. "That was un-bear-leivable! Sensei, you're the greatest!"

Yui sighed in relief. "Thanks, Teddie." She turned to Mogura. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Mogura stood up again. "I think so." He held out his hand, and the card appeared, turning over his palm. The girl looked at him strangely, but shook it off. "C'mon, let's get back home." However, when they reached the edge of the cave, the entrance was surrounded by the sheep Shadows that had kept them delayed before.

"Persona!" Izanagi-jo, Jiraiya, and Tomoe burst out and began slaughtering Shadows left and right. Between busts of wind, thunder, and ice, it looked like a regular hurricane.

Oedipus burst out from Mogura's hand and murmured, _You will need a guide to get anywhere while fighting. I had my daughter. Do you know her name?_

Mogura racked his soul for answers. One phrase set out from all the others. "ANTIGONE!"

A little female figure, cloaked fully in black so that no part of her face or skin showed appeared beside her father and then flew above the Shadows, dropping tongues of green flames that hovered over their heads.

The flames in Oedipus's eyes burned brightly. "Persona!" Mogura cried, and Oedipus darted into the fight. A wicked blade flashed from his side as Antigone dissolved into the shadow of her father. Every sheep that had a flame above its head was hacked in half by the unrelenting king. The sheep were scared out of their wits by this new enemy's fury, and scattered into the waiting weapons of the other three Personae.

It goes without saying what happened next.

Soon after this clean sweep ended, however, Mogura's head lolled. He collapsed, instantly falling asleep on the soft green pastures.

"Dammit." Yosuke sat down on one of the cracked chairs. "I guess I'll be carrying him out…"

"Yep!" Yui flicked his nose teasingly.

"Hey! Ow!"

"I'm actually surprised he was able to summon his Persona so quickly." Chie knelt down next to Mogura. "It's like he already knew how to…"

-…-

**Monday, April 18, 2011**

**Dojima Residence**

**Night**

"That cleaned up well, didn't it?" Yosuke was having a midnight chat with Yi over the fiasco from the day before.

Yi nodded. "Nothing showed up on the Midnight Channel, Mogura has returned, and apparently, Chie is now back on speaking terms with Yukiko."

"Thank God. Geez, it seems like everyone got all worked up over nothing…"

"Shut up! Friendships between girls are fragile."

"Pft… They've been friends forever. They'd get over it, right? "

"It's serious business. You don't want to know how many childhood friendships can get torn apart over a guy. Plus, Chie almost killed him. If he had never recovered, Chie would have been in a whole heap of…"

"Shit?"

"Thanks, Yosuke…" Yi ground sarcastically. "Trouble." She walked up to her window." Anyways, it's foggy tonight, and both times the night before someone was killed was foggy. We got in just in time."

"No kidding? Wow." Yosuke whistled. "Well, see you tomorrow."

"You too, Yosuke."

She blushed as she ended the call.

"You too."

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: WE'RE A TEAM**

_"My name's Kou Ichijo…"_

_"…you said there was supposed to be another manager…"_

_"You love Kou-san?"_

_"I'll jump!"_


	8. Chapter 7: We're a Team

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Okay. I really have to apologize to you guys. I was rushing the update. That and the fact that I rebuilt the chapter from scratch because it screwed up the whole plot the way I wrote it originally…. kind of made the quality level drop. A lot.

Updates are now being shifted to two week's wait rather than one. Sorry, but it'll be worth the quality work.

In return for making you guys wait, I will announce that I plan to make a Femfiction the Golden if I ever get done with this fanfiction, including deleted scenes, special add-ins, and commentary by Yui (and other characters).

Plus, I have decided to name my new concept, which may or may not get its own website due to it almost qualifying as its own entity. The title of my new idea is Incarno, and the main character's name is Saiai Keiji. Message me about any ideas or problems you have with this.

So there's my advertising schpeal. Have fun reading!

/AUTHOR'S NOTE

-…-

"Stop it! What you're doing isn't going to help anyone!"

"You can't tell me what to do! Especially not you! You stole him from me!"

"Stole him from you? Like hell! I just became the manager to help Chie!"

"Let go of me!"

"No way!"

**-Persona 4-**

**Episode 7: We're A Team**

_Courage- Brave_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Eloquent_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Strong_

**-Persona 4-**

[Flashback:]

Yasogami High

After School

"Hey, Mogura-san..." A medium-sized boy with blue hair ran up from behind to the blind student.

Mogura's shoulders slumped, slamming his locker closed.

"For the last damn time… I don't want to join band…" he groaned. "Please stop asking."

"Uh, actually, I wanted to talk to you about playing basketball."

"Huh?" Mogura turned toward the voice.

"My name's Kou Ichijo, Captain of the Yasogami High Basketball squad. It's nice to meet you. You must be Mogura Inja. Yui told me about you."

He held out his hand, but Mogura didn't understand what was going on. He looked toward the voice he had heard with an uncertain frown.

"Um… I'm blind… so…"

Kou blinked, thought for a second, and then scratched his head. "Yui!" He looked around for his new manager.

Narukami was chatting it up with some possible recruits, and she seemed to be doing a good job of getting them to come out for basketball. "Hold on…" She turned around. "Yes, Kou?"

"This guy says he's blind…" He scratched his head. "um, is it legal to let someone blind play basketball?" The bluenette grimaced under the aura of confusion and irritancy that Mogura was giving off.

Yui flipped through the manager's book and pulled up Regulations. "Um, it says here that they have to sign an extra waiver and all the permission sheets have to be dictated to them in full. Otherwise, he's good." She smiled at the still-uncertain Mogura.

Kou grinned and looked back to the blind boy. "All right! You game?" He put out his fist, but Mogura didn't move.

"Uh… I guess? I'm blind, so I've never really played basketball… but… I guess I could try…" Mogura rubbed his hands together nervously, spinning his guidance staff between them.

Kou quickly recomposed himself and gave a thumb's up. "Perfect! I'll lead you to the gym!"

"What? Now? " Mogura blinked in surprise.

"Uh… Yeah. C'mon, I'll show you!" Ichijo shifted uncomfortably at his recruit's blindness. "Um, do you need me to hold your hand or something?" He grimaced.

The American was taken aback. "I don't think that will be necessary, please. I'll just follow the sound of your footsteps and voice."

"Oh. Okay. Well, follow me, all recruits!" Kou dashed out in front of all the incomers and pointed towards the gym. "Basketball practice this way!"

Mogura sighed, and he followed the small crowd of future basketball players. Yui was at the front of the line flipping through notes and writing in game dates.

The blind guy picked up the pace until he stood next to Yui and whispered, "Where'd you dig this guy up?"

Yui glared at Mogura. "Chie told me about him. When I said I wasn't in a sports club, she perked up and brought me to the gym. Apparently, Kou wanted Chie to be the basketball manager, but she had to walk Yukiko home. So she asked me to take her place. Ever since you got kidnapped, Chie's had to guard Yukiko if she goes out of the Inn."

Mogura bit his lip."Yeesh. That's kinda overprotective."

"I'll say."

As Yui went back to sorting forms, Kou turned to her.

"Hey, thanks for helping out with this. I really owe you one."

"Yeah… Um, you said there was supposed to be another manager. Who was it?"

Kou snorted and set his jaw. "I guess you could say that she's gonna get fired… She never showed up on time for practice and she was always disinterested in the team. I haven't told her yet that you've taken over position as the manager, but she probably doesn't care." He looked around. "Her name's Ai Ebihara. If you see her, tell her I want to talk to her about her… Performance." They turned a corner.

"About my what?"

There was a girl with wavy brown hair, white stockings and a long skirt standing with a at the entrance to the gym. She glared at Yui and looked back at Kou. Her voice broke as she spoke again. "What do you want to tell me?"

Kou motioned for the rest of the group to enter. All the basketball guys walked in except Mogura, who was unable to see what was going on. He put his hands out, waving for a reference point.

After drawing a deep breath, Kou said, "You've been kind of an unsteady team manager, so we've decided to give Yui here a chance." Ai looked devastated, a far cry from her previous devil-may care aura. It seemed like Kou was wrong about her not caring about her job. "If you want to re-become team manager, you're gonna have to put in a lot more work than you have been. I'm sorry." Ichijo walked in, eyes disappointed but determined.

Ai stood unresponsive for a second, before beginning to shake in anger. "I… I've… Gotta go…" She ran off sobbing, brushing past a still-flailing Mogura. The blind boy looked more confused than ever, especially when Yui pushed him to get to Ai.

"Sorry, Kou-san, Mogura-san. I'll take care of it!"

Kou frowned. "Uh… Okay, everybody, let's start some dribbling drills!" Kou clapped his hands and ran into the gym a little less emphatically than before, but everybody followed him. Everybody but Mogura, that was.

"Hey! Wait for me!" the American ran towards where Kou's voice had come from just as the door slammed in his face.

-…-

When they had reached the roof, Ai was crying her heart out and clutching onto the chain link fence that surrounded the rooftop with both hands.

Yui took a deep breath. "Ai, I'm sorry, but…" The grey-haired girl stepped up to support Ai.

"No!" Ebihara shoved Yui away. "I know… He doesn't love me… He loves you, doesn't he?" She pointed an accusing finger at the exchange student.

Yui blinked. "You mean… You love Kou-san?"

Ai's hand shook, and she started blubbering again.

The grey-haired girl's heart sank. "I couldn't have known. He only asked me to help today, because Chie just introduced him to me! I-I never knew him before today!" Yui held out her hands in desperation. "You've got to believe me!"

"No… I can't stand this… Nobody loves me… So I'm gonna leave…" She turned around, and with bleary eyes began to climb the chain link fence. On the other side was a free fall thirty feet onto solid pavement.

_Suicide? No way!_

"Stop!" Yui ran up and pulled on Ai's leg, but she wouldn't stop moving.

She seemed determined to throw herself off or literally die trying. "Let me go! Rrrgh!" The brunette struggled in her holder's strong grasp, but Yui gritted her teeth and shook off a kick to the head. She wasn't about to let a suicide happen on her watch.

"I'll scream!" Ai continued crying, and her grip tightened on the metal links she held onto.

"Stop it! What you're doing isn't going to help anyone!" Yui pulled again, and the whole fence rang with clinking.

"You can't tell me what to do! Especially not you! You stole him from me! You stole Kou!"

Yui colored an angry crimson. "Stole him from you? Like hell! I just became the manager to help Chie!"

"Let go of me!" Ai tried to kick Yui again.

"No way!" Yanking down, Yui dodged the kick and pulled Ai from the fence, where she collapsed onto the grey-haired girl. After a short struggle, Yui slapped Ai across the face, getting her undivided attention. "Listen up, Ai. I know it must be hard to be rejected, but pull yourself together! This isn't something worth throwing your life away on!"

Ai stopped crying instantly. "But… I… I spent so much time trying to make myself look cute. I was always teased for being fat when I was younger, so I decided I needed to be thinner. I… I looked at magazines and learned about all the tricks and skills they had, and so I thought I could make myself loveable. But… If he doesn't…" She broke down in tears again.

"Um… Can I do anything to make sure that you don't try something like that again?" Yui asked carefully.

Ai swallowed. "I…want someone to love me…"

Yui gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to think. "Eh… I can try to help you to get Kou as your boyfriend, but I won't promise anything." She sighed again. "You're going to have to face up to Kou sometime, Ai. I'll just buy you time to think."

Ai pulled away from her new friend and bowed in thankfulness. "I'll see you later, Yui-san. And I'll be sure to talk to Kou later. Count on it." She giggled.

Yui sighed. She could tell this wasn't going to be fun or easy.

-…-

Next Day: March 20, 2012

Yasogami High School Gym

After School

Kou clapped his hands in delight. "All right, guys! We had an awesome practice!" He turned to the benches. "Hey, Manager! Do we have any water bottles?"

Yui nodded and hefted two six-carriers of full bottles. "Got it!" She jogged over to the exhausted boys and held out the cold water. After a few seconds of struggling, the bottles became empty as fast as they had been filled.

-sweat-

"Boy, you guys must really be working hard if you can drink so much water…" she murmured.

Kou, who had only taken a splash before handing his bottle off, shook his head. "It's just that they're not used to the training. It gets easier." He turned to a figure on the other side of the court. "Mogura, how're you doing?"

The blind man heard his captain's question and turned around, putting the ball he was carrying under his arm. "Oh, yeah. I'm getting better, I guess." He shrugged. "I can't tell whether I make or miss shots, so I just have to guess. I can find the ball better, though. But it didn't help that there were 3 or more in play."

The basketball leader smiled. "Hey, I'm glad all you guys improved. What about you, Kazuo?"

A chubby, dark-haired fellow nearly collapsed. "I… I guess I'm getting faster… I mean, I must be losing weight, so I have less to push around…" He panted heavily and wiped sweat from his brow.

"How about you, Hanamura?"

"Almost… Too… Tired… To… Think…" he panted. "Need… sleep…"

"Um, okay…" Kou looked disappointed. "Let's get to the showers, I guess?"

Everybody except Kou and Yui dragged themselves into the locker room. The bluenette basketball captain sat down on the bench and cupped his face in his hands. Yui, who was about to dump the little remaining water outside, stopped and sat down next to him. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"No… not really." He sighed and threw his head back. "Geez… Yui?" He turned to his manager.

"Um… Yes?"

"Do you think I work those guys too hard? I don't know if we can play at the level I want to play at." He looked at Yui pleadingly.

She coughed. "Well, uh, I think they are tired. But… I think if you give them some time… and push them just the right amount… They'll be ready for anything that happens this season." She blushed. "Um, is that a good answer?"

Kou laughed. "I think it's a great answer. You should be more self-assured when speaking, though." He poked her in the ribs, and she squeaked, pulling away from contact. "I think I made a good decision when I chose you as my manager."

"Um… I need to talk to you about something else…" The grey-haired girl shifted uncomfortably. "Um… one of my friends is interested in you… As a boyfriend…"

Kou perked up. "Um… Who is it? Is it Chie?"

Yui shook her head. "No… I'm afraid it's not…"

"Oh…" He looked disappointed. "That's too bad, I guess… Well, who is it?"

"Ah… Um…" Yui looked around. _Please, please let Ai not be here for this…_

"It's not you, is it?"

Yui turned scarlet and was taken aback. "What? No… I mean… It's one of my friends… But I don't think I should tell you…"

Ichijo laughed. "It's just that sometimes a girl does that sort of thing… She'll tell a guy one of her friends is interested in a blind date, and she shows up instead… Not that I'd know from experience…" He added sourly. "But, why don't you want to tell me?" A thought came to him. "It's Ai, isn't it?"

-!-

"Uh…" Yui's mind went on screensaver. _ How the hell?_

Kou nodded grimly. "So I'm right." He sighed. "After she exploded like that, it wasn't hard to guess."

"So you're interested?" She gritted her teeth and hoped hard.

"Um… not really. I… like nice girls… and Ai… she's kind of… sharp around the edges." He leaned back on the bench and looked up at the ceiling. "I mean, she is pretty and all, but being pretty isn't everything, you know. I… I'd like a girl that's not only pretty, but strong and kind as well. I mean, she doesn't have to be a martial artist like Chie… But she has to be able to accept things for what they are… And I'm not sure Ai is capable of that yet. She's a little too-high maintenance to be able to stand on her own, so I think she might get a little –grabby."

Yui swallowed and spoke more determinately this time. "Well, I think you should give her a chance and some time to work with… Just like you did with Mogura. He doesn't seem capable of playing basketball initially, because of his blindness, but give him a chance and some encouragement and he's sure to become a pillar of this team." She looked back at Kou, eyes burning. "Trust me."

Suddenly, there was a racket in the locker room, including the sound of some things being thrown around. Kou jumped up in alarm and ran inside.

There was the sound of some arguing players, but soon the volume decreased. After Kou left, there was silence from the closed room. The basketball captain stomped out with his gear, swearing up a storm. "For the love of…"

Yui stood in the way of the gym doors. "You're not walking out until you tell me what happened."

Kou sighed. "You know I'm thankful for your concern, but please let me leave. I… I don't think this team can hold together." He moved to the left, but Yui blocked him. "Yui…"

"You want this team to hold together?" She pointed a finger directly at Kou. "Do you, Kou Ichijo, want this team to hold together?"

Stunned, he stepped back. "Uh… I guess I do… But the rest of the team… They're tired of playing after the first practice… And they're fighting among each other…"

"Well, you know those trophies they hand out for being the best basketball team in the district?"

"Yes…"

"Your team isn't going to get one if you don't freaking PLAY!" She poked him in the chest. "You, Kou Ichijo, Team Captain of the Yasogami High Basketball Team, have got to lead this team. Or else there isn't going to be a team to lead. If you walk out of those double doors like the way you are… I'm sure nobody's gonna want you back either way."

A light- haired boy walked up from behind Kou. "Kou… If you really don't want to be Captain… I'll lead the rest of them. Your speech back there made the rest of us think." He stepped forward and moved his hand to Kou's shoulder. "As long as you play, we play. Any guy that drops out buys the rest of the team dinner at Aiya's after the game, and if we can't play due to lack of players, everybody who did leave has to say so on the school loudspeaker. Everybody agreed to this. Everybody but you."

Kou sighed. "…I guess I really do need to give you guys a chance." He turned to his friend. "It's a deal. I'm staying. And we are going to win the district."

"Way to go, Captain!" Yui gave him a thumbs-up. "So… Practice tomorrow?"

"I hope not…" Yosuke collapsed on the team bench. "I'm still sore even after a shower. Dammit."

Yui walked over and slapped him on the back of the head. "Get up, you sissy."

-…-

Next Day: March 21, 2012

Yasogami High

Morning

"Dammit… Am I ever tired." Yosuke stretched his arms out, trying to get the tension in his muscles to leave. "Son of a gun… Kou works us to the bone."

Yui was reading Art of Womanship, and was barely paying attention to her friend's complaints. "Yeah, yeah. Hold on! I'm on the fifth chapter…"

Yosuke threw his head back, leaning back in his chair. "Hey, you want to go for steak again next week? My treat."

She didn't look up, licking her fingers and flipping the page. "Eh, I dunno. People will think we're dating, so I'll have to think about that."

"Fine by me." Yosuke leaned forward, a weary smile on his face. "Hey, where's Chie? She's usually eating me out for something I didn't do by now." He looked at his watch. "There's like, two minutes before class starts. Mooroka's gonna roast them if they don't get in here soon."

Right before the bell rang, Chie rushed in and sat down. "Guys… Have you seen Yukiko?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"No…" Chie hung her head. "If it's not one thing, it's another…" She caught her breath and spoke to her friends very carefully. "I overheard the police talking they think the criminal was someone staying at the Inn, so everyone's being interviewed. That means Yukiko was probably caught up by them… and Mogura." She gritted her teeth again. "It's Mogura! I know it! No wonder he was able to summon his Persona so fast!"

Yui sighed and put down her book. "Chie, you really need to stop blaming Mogura for all of this… Remember, he was tossed into the TV after you kicked him in the head."

"But Yui, come on! He's the only one with access to all three other people, he appeared just recently, and nobody knows anything about him! Come on… He's the prime suspect!"

"Uh, actually, no. He didn't come in time to commit the first murder, he has no motive, and- OW!"

Mooroka popped her with a tossed chunk of chalk. "Well, it looks like Tokyo's defeated warrior is talking again!"

"WHO'S the defeated warrior?" Yui rubbed her head and returned the teacher's glare. "Sensei, if I'm a warrior, I came to conquer this town too!"

Every member of the class turned to look at the exchange student. Chie was gaping at her, and even Yosuke looked mildly interested. There were a few whistles of appreciation.

"Ha! I'll bet you couldn't even conquer this class!" Mooroka chuckled. "I'll tell you what! If you're so confident, I'll take five points off of your semester grade if you don't rank first in this class's exams."

"And if I do?" Yui crossed her arms to hide her insecurity.

"Then I'll raise your grade by ten points, up to a maximum one hundred percent out of one hundred percent."

"Challenge accepted."

Mooroka smirked in self-assurance. "Now, to go through the series of events that will happen before we see our conquering warrior fall on her face…" He began to write on the board. "Culture clubs will begin to open to students on the twenty-fifth, you brats get an undeserved holiday on the twenty-ninth…"

-…-

After School

Junes Superstore

"So what happened exactly, Mogura?" Chie glared at him. Mogura didn't seem to notice or care.

He sighed and rolled the soda can he was holding in his hands. "I was running away from when you kicked me in the head, my mind swirling and my balance off-kilter. I bumped into objects a couple of times, and I also think I rammed into a guy who swore me out and pushed me to the side. I ignored him and kept on running. It got to the point where I could not hear traffic, whether it was the pounding of my head or just how far outside of town I was. But I heard someone say, "Heaven sent you to me." The person shoved me into something; I hit my leg and fell over onto a flat surface. It was there that my mind went blank. Later, I woke up inside the TV World."

"Could you tell the gender of the speaker?" Yui asked.

"Um, I think it was a guy, but my head was fuzzy and the voice sounded warped. So I guess it could have been a woman."

Yosuke tapped his foot on the floor. "Do you happen to have any enemies in Japan? You said you were here before."

Yui looked at Yosuke with a quizzical frown.

"What? I think it's important! We could get a motive for anyone who's associated with him!"

"I'm afraid I had as many enemies as friends in Japan when I came to Inaba, that is to say, zero."

Yui held up a finger. "But… I think there's something important we missed. Every person that was attacked had extensive media attention set upon them."

"Damn right." Mogura leaned back in his chair. "I couldn't walk from one class to another without being pestered the day after my interview. Everyone was asking, 'hey, do you like Yukiko?' and 'when're you gonna beat the Amagi Challenge?'" He spoke in a falsetto when he quoted the gossipers.

"But what about the whole 'Heaven sent you to me' crap that the killer said?" Chie asked.

-!-

Yosuke snapped his fingers. "Maybe he's just some sort of fanatic obsessed with cleaning the world of evil. It's happened before. Like in Death Note."

-sweat-

Chie sighed. "Yosuke, you watch way too much anime. Nobody actually thinks that." She shuddered. "Still, that is really creepy."

Yui put her fist down on the table. "Yeah. But we're gonna stop him. Right?" Everyone around the table nodded, and Yui felt a strong bond form between the four Persona owners.

"Hey, Yui!" Yui whirled her head around to seeAi standing behind her. Seeing her 'friend' confused, Eibhira grabbed her hand. "I'm coming to basketball practice with you guys, okay?"

Yui's brow fuirrowed. "What? Why?"

"I need to talk to Kou. You don't mind, right?" Ai chirped.

She looked as nauseatingly cheerful as Yui had last left her, so the grey-haired girl was not sure how to talk to Ai about Kou's response to her. "Um, I guess not, but…"

A sneer of victory passed over the love-struck girl's face before she beamed. "Great! See you!"

"No, wait…" Ai ran off, blissfully ignorant of Kou's true feelings about her. Yui got up. "Sorry, guys, but there's something important I need to do!"

Chie rolled her eyes and Yosuke frowned as Yui ran after Eibhira.

"Aw, come on, man!" Yosuke bowed his head. "That's the second time I didn't get to talk to her…"

Mogura seemed to stop moving for a few seconds. Then a smirk appeared on his face. "Oh… I get it."

-!-

Yosuke started panicking. "Wait, it's not what you think!"

-…-

"Ai, hold up!" Yui grabbed the other girl's arm and pulled her to a halt. "I… I have to tell you something."

"Huh? What… What is it?" Ai set her jaw to receive bad news.

"Um… Kou… He, well, um…" Yui stuttered. "He likes another girl… Not me, of course, but he, um, likes… Chie." She looked away. "I'm sorry."

Ai glared at the table where Yui had been sitting, her glare burning into Satonaka, who was yelling at Mogura as he snickered. Yosuke looked over to the other two girls and grimaced. Yui mouthed, _Not right now. _

After somewhat releasing her frustration, Ai turned her back on Yui. "I'm going to try to imagine that this conversation never happened, and I will get Kou as my boyfriend before that karate freak does." She sniffed. "Have fun with your _friends_."

Yui watched Ai strut off, letting her face boil a bit before walking back to her seat.

"And that's why samurai movies are so much better than cowboy movies! There's no competing with… Yui, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Go on with your argument."

"Well, Chie, I couldn't say that Samurai movies have better special effects and visual appeal because I've never seen them." Mogura continued, but Chie waved him off.

"Shut up for a second. Yui, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Chie. Just… I need to talk to you after the guys go to basketball practice. Okay?"

"Um, okay…" Chie studied her friend, searching for signs as to why she was so angry.

Yui turned her eyes away to disconnect herself from the unnerving effect of Chie's interrogative stare. "That reminded me. Yosuke, what time is it?"

Yosuke looked at his phone. "Um… Oh shit!" He jumped up and grabbed his bags from where they were resting next to his seat. "We've gotta go! If we sprint, we'll make it with like a minute to spare. Come on, Mogura. Sorry, guys, but Kou's gonna roast us if we're late."

Mogura stood up and ran after the cursing Yosuke. "See you later!"

As the boys ran off, Chie turned to Yui. "What's wrong, Yui. I can tell that you got angry after that confrontation n with Ai." As Yui opened her mouth to protest, the martial artist added, "And don't lie. I can't stand friends who lie to me."

The grey-haired girl sighed again. "Okay, this is gonna take a while to explain. Kou Ichijo, the basketball team captain has a crush on you. But Ai has a crush on him! So how am I supposed to handle this? I mean, I need to know what you think before I can do anything. Because if I screw this up, I may not only ruin my friendship with Kou, Ai may try to kill herself again or hate you, trying to make the rest of your school year miserable." Yui continued stuttering out an apology, but faster this time. "I'''t-"

Chie grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Yui, stop."

Upon realizing her apology was overblown, the grey-haired girl caught her breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry, Chie. I just don't know how to handle stuff like this. My life has always been so… uncomplicated."

Chie shook her head and grimaced. "Yui… I love how you're so good at helping everyone, but… calm down. You look like me when I saw you and Yosuke on that date."

"That wasn't a date!" Crimson slid onto Yui's face. "But that's not the point! What do you think of Kou? I need to know so I can make the best decision here!"

Looking down at the snack before her, Satonaka said nothing.

"Well? Ai's gonna be mad at you until I tell her what's going on! And if you actually do like, Kou, that complicates my plan even more! I need to think about what I should do, and I really don't have time!"

"Yui, stop." The martial arts fanatic held out her hand. "You're getting really worked up about this. I… I'm not really interested in Kou that much… But sometimes, you need to just go into things. Don't think, feel. Plans can really get into the way, and I don't like seeing you all stressed over this."

"Not when Ai nearly committed suicide over this! I need to tread carefully!"

"Then tell Ai she needs to grow a pair and move on! Or better yet, I'll tell her!"

Yui shook her head. "That'd just make things worse! She'd get really, really angry at you, and then…"

Chie pulled out her phone.

"What are you doing?"

Chie held up her phone to reveal a picture of her hugging a huge lump of a white and brown dog.

"This is my dog… He's a fatass and stinks like no other, but I've loved him ever since I got him. Do you know who I got him from?"

"Your parents?"

Chie shook her head. "Yukiko. Or, at least, she found him." She stared at the picture nostalgically. "When Yukiko found him, he was just a puppy, but her parents wouldn't let her keep him. She was devastated. That's when I met her for the first time." She smiled. "I remember making a silly face to cheer her up. That's why we've been friends so long, and why I've never really pursued dating."

Yui looked confused. "Why is that? I don't get it…"

The martial artist looked up. "I've never really dated because I've always had a friend, Yukiko, who's been a kind of calm side to my energetic personality. Whenever I had problems, I could go to her, and she'd help me think more clearly. And she leaned on me when she had troubles or when someone was pushing her too far. We balanced each other out."

"Is that why you got so jealous when Yukiko confessed to Mogura?"

"What?" Chie's eyes bulged. "She never confessed to Mogura! She just asked him out on a date! Like Yosuke did with you! As… friends…" She glared at Yui. "Right?"

Yui pursed her lips and waved her hand. "Uh… Kind of… Let's change the subject."

Chie didn't look convinced, but she went on. "As I was saying, certain types of people need to be balanced by other people. Energetic people need calm people and introverts need extrovert friends, right?"

The other girl looked away. _Ai isn't energetic or calm or even in-between. She's just mean. Man, maybe I just need to drop this. Maybe Ai doesn't deserve a boyfriend after all. She's so manipulative and twisted... like…_

"Yui… are you even listening?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "I understand you… I just don't see where this is going."  
>"Maybe Ai doesn't need a date… Maybe she needs a friend."<p>

Yui's cynical glare into the horizon melted with this. She looked at Chie, took a deep breath, and letit out. "Thanks, Chie. I… owe you one."

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

Yui smiled, and felt a bond between her and Chie, just like with Yosuke. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I've got to get to basketball practice before Kou kills me."

Chie's face turned stone-cold as Yui stood up. "I'm coming with you. I need to get to Ai before she kills Kou."

-…-

Yasogami High Gym

After School

Soon after arriving at the gym, Chie cornered a very angry Ai and took her to speak outside. The more Yui listened to the conversation, the less she wanted to, and so she went inside and quickly made up for her lost managing time, filling up water jugs, putting dirty towels in the wash, and cleaning out the bottles.

The boys were in the middle of their 2-on-2 drills, and Kou was leading them as he said he would, running faster and working harder than the rest. It was almost miraculous how he was able to drive himself to pull off seemingly impossible shots. Yui stood in astonishment as he juked out a defender and pulled off a backwards layup. Then she blushed, realizing she was fangirling, and quickly returned to what she was supposed to be doing.

As she dragged the last of the coolers to the bench, she heard the yelling die down and become replaced by the footsteps of a very angry man. She winced as the doors were hammered open by none other than Detective Ryotaro Dojima. Her mind scrambled. What did she do? She told him that she'd help out with basketball, and he agreed. So why was he so angry?

His eyes burned with frustration and barely contained rage as he ground out the cigarette he was smoking with unnecessary force. "Mogura Inja! Get over here this instant, or so help me I will strap you to the hood of my car and-"

"Present, sir." Mogura dropped the ball he was holding and stepped forward, and the rest of the basketball team stepped back. Apparently nobody had ever seen Dojima come so unhinged, and that included Yui, even with her only being here for about two weeks.

Even Kou stopped dribbling. "Um, take five, guys!" He waved the team into the locker room and entered it himself. Yui considered joining them, but unfortunately, there was an invisible wall between her and the locker room formed by the detective and the lone basketball player.

_What could he want with Mogura?_

As soon as the team disappeared, the detective ranted out Mogura, his face turning from scarlet to purple. "What the hell is wrong with you American kids? You get kidnapped by a serial killer, go absent for a few days, and act like nothing happened. Then we try to launch an investigation and you ignore us and go to play your school sports or whatever!"

Mogura barely contained his indignity. "Sir, I was not aware you were launching a second investigation on the Amagi Inn today."

Ryotaro shoved his finger straight in Mogura's face. "Like hell you didn't! There were posters everywhere! How could you not have seen…" He caught his thoughts. "Whatever, but still! Shouldn't you have known?" He sighed again. "Whatever happened, you're coming with me!"

"Um, Uncle…" Yui asked weakly.

"Not right now, Yui. I'll see you later." He led Mogura out roughly by the arm, still cursing until he left the building. Yui sat down on the bench in defeat. This was going to be a long year.

-…-

Dojima Residence

Night

Yui was frustrated, yes. Frustrated at Ai for being a whiny brat, frustrated at Dojima for ranting Mogura out, and frustrated at Mogura for not noticing that the inn he had been living in for the last few weeks was under investigation. She picked up her book and opened to where she had left off.

'_Great women are like strong bridges. They know when they need to yield a little and when they need to stay firm and not bend.' _

She put down the book and leaned back on her couch.

_Maybe I need to be more like that… Maybe I should listen to Chie when she says to help Ai out, and maybe I should do more than what I just plan._

She picked up the book and continued to read more about the strength a true woman had within her. As she was about to reach the end of her chapter, she became aware of the television screen turning on. When she looked up, she heard a soft patter on the roof.

Her eyes bulged. "The Midnight Channel? But…"

Static filled the screen as the drizzle outside quickly became a downpour.

END CHAPTER

NEXT SCENT: ANYWHERE BUT HERE

"…_Mogura's the main suspect now. He's the only person with the means and the timing for both deaths…"_

"_I don't get it! Yukiko hasn't been this tense… ever! It's like she's hiding something…"_

"_Stay where you are and put your hands up!"_

"…_I can't believe the killer got the drop on Adachi."_


	9. Chapter 8: Anywhere But Here

Author's Note: This chapter is really other-centric, with only slight focus on Yui. Expect important details for explanations later. /Author's Note

-…-

Inaba Shopping District

After School

Basketball practice ended, and Yui hurried home. But as she walked around in the Shopping District, she became aware of a door that had not been present the last time she passed by. She walked up, and found a weight drop into her pocket. She dug the guest key for the Velvet Room out, held it up to the light, and inserted it into the keyhole of the door. She turned the key, and it clicked. But as she pushed open the door, reality flipped. A whirl of blue light and pretty piano playing spun Yui out of Inaba and into the Velvet Room.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room."

Yui looked up, amazed at what had happened. Igor was sitting where he usually did, his eyes trained on his guest.

"I see you've been having less than a good time, considering all the problems thrown in your way. And this last conflict just added another stone to your stumbling path, I see." He sighed. "It seems that twists and turns occur at the most inappropriate times, yes?"

Yui set her confusion aside. "Yeah. I really need some guidance here. You said you'd help me when I needed it… Do you have any idea what I should do right now?" She pleaded.

Margaret turned toward her guest. "In my personal opinion, I believe you should focus on relieving the distress you face with Ai before pursuing more information from the Midnight Channel. Not only will it remove the burden of distress from your collective backs, but it appears that it may bring another bond into the making." She looked back down at the book, contemplating silently.

Igor smiled as a card appeared, hovering above the book Margaret held in her lap. "The Moon. That card is associated with intuition, creativity, and inspiration. However, it is also associated with trickery and illusion. You must be careful not to lie in an attempt to make problems disappear."

A different card replaced the Moon, displaying what seemed to be a woman.

"The Priestess Arcana waits for you as well. This card represents innocence, kindness, and femininity, usually denoting someone who is quite 'dainty' in her affairs. As much as you wish to pursue these bonds, you must remember not to take them for their power. I cannot overstate this."

"Yes, sir." Yui nodded. She was still quite unsure about what she was supposed to do. "But… can you give me a plan or something?"

"I believe that is up to you. It is your journey, is it not?" Igor smiled with a glee that irritated Yui.

"Oh. Right." Yui rolled her eyes.

Margaret looked back at Yui with a hint of indignity in her voice. "Now, another thing. There is yet another bond waiting for you, but it is so weak that it is nearly impossible to sense." The assistant closed her book and put it back on the table beside her. "Perhaps it has something to do with this conflict?"

Yui thought back. Ai seemed like the kind of girl that would match the Moon, but who would that make the other bond?

"It must be a girl that's on the Midnight Channel next. After all, the Priestess and Moon are both feminine, right? Does that help?"

Margaret frowned. "Not much, but a little. Perhaps it will become clear after a few days. Right now, you need to focus on fixing the friendships in front of you."

Igor snapped his fingers, and Yui felt herself being lifted again. "We will see you again before your next challenge in the Midnight Channel. Farewell."

-…-

**-Persona4-**

**CHAPTER 8: ANYWHERE BUT HERE **

_Courage- Brave_

_Knowledge- Broad_

_Expression- Persuasive_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Strong_

**-Persona 4-**

-...-

FORWARD: Saturday, April 23, 2012

Yui was walking around the Shopping District when she saw a Help Needed sign posted on the wall next to the restaurant Aiya's. She looked at it and saw that a day care was hiring… The first time she could take that job would be on Monday of next week.

_I fight Shadows… I think I can handle a few kids…._

FORWARD: Monday, April 25, 2012

"Alright, you brats! It's about time for those of you with acting or musical talents to do something useful for a change and sign up for a culture club so our school looks good! If you don't sign up, don't complain when the festival looks like crap!"

"Pft… Like anyone actually goes to the actual culture things…Everybody knows the festival is where it's at." Yosuke leaned back in his chair.

"Shut up!" Chie frowned. Then she turned to Yui. "We need to talk about the case… There's something I need to tell you."

"Alright…" Yui nodded. "I'll just sign up for band and meet up with you later." The daycare would have to wait. She needed more time to work on the case.

**After School**

The band instructor waved his hand to display the small area. "Um, this is the band room. We're going to get back to rehearsing in a bit, so… Ayane?"

A small girl in the back perked up. "Yes?"

"Could you bring Yi-san up to date on the band?"

She bowed slightly. "Yes, Senpai!" She walked quickly over to Yui and bowed slightly again. "I'm Ayane Matsunaga. Um, I play the trombone, but mostly I do paperwork… Oh… That's not important… Sorry…" She frowned.

"It's okay…" Yui grinned at the innocence and cheerfulness of the younger girl.

"No, no, I'm sorry…" She tapped her chin. "Um… We meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You technically don't HAVE to be here, but practice makes perfect… Um… That's it, really." The girl swayed side to side, embarrassed and uncertain what to do next.

Both of them stood in silence as the orchestra set up around them. They both just stood there awkwardly, neither willing to break the silence.

Finally, Yui stuttered out of sheer desperation, "Oh, alright… I need to go talk with someone, but thank you for briefing me on what's going on here." Yui bowed and walked toward the door.

Ayane smiled, dimples appearing in her small cheeks. "You're welcome, Senpai! Please come back!"

-…-

Junes Food Court

"Hey, Satonaka!" Yui plopped herself down in a chair. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Chie grimaced. "Maybe you can ask Mr. Dojima. You are staying with him, right?"

Yui blinked. "Yeah, he's my uncle. Why?" She asked furtitively.

"Yukiko called me and said that Mogura's the main suspect now. He's the only person with the means and the timing for both deaths, and he survived the 'kidnapping'. Plus, he's super suspicious." She frowned. "Yukiko was wound up even more than usual. What is it about Mogura that catches her eye?" She growled. "I don't get it! Yukiko hasn't been this tense… ever! It's like she's hiding something…"

Yui blinked. _Could Yukiko… No… she's way too innocent… But… Maybe the reason why she's obsessed with Mogura is the same reason why he survived the kidnapping… What if Yukiko is the murderer?_

She looked back up. _No… There's just no reason why Yukiko would do something like that. Still…_

"Yui?" Chie waved her hand in front of her friend's face. "Are you okay?"

"Oh… Fine… Um… Do you want to go to the basketball game on Friday?"

"Sure!" She looked around. "Where's Yosuke? Shouldn't he be here?"

"He's trying to get an excuse not to go to practice today. And it's not working. I see you fake-working that stand, Hanamura." Her gaze rose so that she met eyes with the slacker.

Yosuke guiltily stepped out from behind the counter of an irritated takoyaki vendor and groaned. "You know, Yui, you have really good eyesight."

The grey-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere. We're going to practice after I finish talking to Chie."

"Come on! Why does Mogura get off and not me?" He looked up. "I mean, come on! Kou has us sprint everywhere! For hours…" He groaned.

"Because he's being investigated by the police."

A smirk popped up on the auburn boy's face. "I always kinda thought that guy was creepy…"

"Shut up, Yosuke."

-…-

Amagi Inn

After School

Yukiko had ignored the whole affair. Or at least she had tried. She sighed. Like Chie said, she seemed a bit more moody than usual. What was it? Was it gulit? Puppy love? She shuddered. She was attracted to Mogura a little bit, but even she got a little bit scared after she yelled at Chie. She remembered something else, something that had shaken her a little bit.

_The heir to the Amagi Inn was carrying dishes from dinner to the kitchen when she overheard some of the cleaning ladies chatting._

"_Oh, that Mogura fellow seems nice," one of the maids clucked. "He's quite handsome, even though he's blind, and quite the gentleman."_

_Yukiko tried to ignore them, putting the dishes she was carrying down, closing her eyes, and drawing a deep breath before walking back to the table to take up more dishes._

"_Yes, I've seen it. I was assigned to clean his room in his absence, and he does almost all of the work for me. He hasn't disturbed anything nonessential at all, but he leaves everything perfect and neat."_

Just ignore it… Maybe they'll stop talking about it…

"_I heard the manager's daughter fancies him a bit."_

_Yukiko stopped._

"_She'd do well to date him. After all, what does she do normally but stand around with old maids like us? I think she should live a little and learn what it means to really be a girl."_

_Yukiko's jaw set and she began to stack dishes again. _Just ignore them.

"_Old maids? Speak for yourself! I'll have you know I was quite the lady back in the day. There were several boys that fancied me when I was young…"_

_She picked up the tray and carried it over to the kitchen again._

"_That's what I mean! Yukiko never has time for things like that! She should go out more… Meet boys… Who knows? Maybe she'll even get a boyfriend."_

"_Yes… I'd hate to see such a pretty girl waste her life away here." _

_After placing the last tray of dishes on the cleaning counter, Yukiko quickly made her way to her room and sat down on her desk's chair, exasperated._

_She looked out the window, where she saw a familiar scarlet bird perched on a branch outside._

What was it? She just wasn't… feeling like herself. A huge weight seemed to be lifted off of her shoulders. Yeah… that was it… but why? Mogura shouldn't have had the effect he did… She pulled the blinds outside away from the window and peered out. She had been working really hard when there was a foggy day last week. And the day before Saki died. Come to mention it, wasn't there fog the day before Miss Yamano died?

Her thoughts were put aside by a ring at the door.

"Hey, wait…" one police officer that was in the lobby turned off the TV and started clomping towards the door. Yukiko stepped aside as he pulled out his pistol and looked outside. "Hello?" His gaze ran around the poorly lit entrance. There was a bristling in the bushes and he ran towards them. "Stay where you are and put your hands up!"

In the dark, a tall figure in pants dashed out of the bushes and around the side of the Inn. The officer chased after him. "Get back here! Stop!"

Yukiko locked the front door in fear and walked backwards into the lobby. Quickly, she turned around and ran to the back, where there was another door. She was about to slam it closed when a foot stuck in the way, a hand shoved a cloth in her face, and the whole world went black. She swooned and crumpled on the floor, only hearing a few indiscernible mumblings before losing cosiousness.

-…-

Inaba Police Station

Interview Room

"So you say you slept the fifteenth on the train back from Tatsumi Port Island?" Ryotaro shuffled uncomfortably.

"Yes, sir. I have the tickets back at the Inn, and I'm sure that if you checked the ticket-taking software, you'd find the particular sales."

"You were with your brother?"

"Yes. We fell asleep on the train and didn't wake up until a half-hour before it reached Port Island, so I paid for the extra branch of my trip and we came back with the Japanese exchange student I was being exchanged for. All three of us stopped at Inaba, and I got off just in time to ask where the school building was and get to class. I met Yukiko and your daughter after school when they seemed to be confronted by a boy a little bit smaller than me…"

Ryotaro's eyes bulged. "Wait. A boy? What was he confronting them for? That could be important."

"He said something about her, Yukiko that is, always rejecting guys. Because I'm blind, I don't know what he looked like, but I have a very good memory of voices."

He stared down the unflinching blind boy one more time and sighed. "Yeah. I need to talk to my niece about that first." He shuffled some files. "You seem to have a solid alibi, so we can let you off... after we find those tickets. You're gonna have to stay here for a while, though." Ryotaro's cell phone began to ring. "Hold on. Probably Adachi whining about his post again. Hello?"

His face paled as he continued to listen to what he was being told. "Oh… Oh no… Oh Hell no…"

-…-

Amagi Inn Courtyard

"Did you call Dojima?"

One of the officers looked up. "Yeah. He's raving mad, too. I can't believe that the killer got the drop on Adachi." He bent back down and surveyed the fallen detective again.

Sprawled out on the floor with his eyes closed and a dumb look on his face lay a stringy man with short, dark hair. He was wearing a casual business suit as his work attire, and the pistol that lay five feet away from him on the ground hadn't seemed to do him much good.

The second officer stood back up. "How is it that the killer got in even with the reinforcements we set up to guard the Inn? Ryotaro specifically petitioned extra guys to come in after that American kid reappeared."

"Yeah. The Inn must be the link. After all, Amagi, the Mogua guy, and Yamano all were at the Inn."

"That guy's name was Mogura. Anyways… It was people who commented on the first murder… Saki Konishi commented on it, so did the Inja kid, and so did Ms. Amagi. You know, I'd thought they'd drop it after Inja got kidnapped, but they kept on bothering the Inn."

"Oh, yeah! That's really good, man!"

The second police officer smiled. "Thanks. Think I'll be able to replace this guy when he gets fired?"

The first officer frowned and waved his hands. "Don't talk like that! It's cruel and besides," He looked around and whispered, "The guy may be awake… Give him a break."

"Whatever. Adachi was never the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can't believe he had his weapon out and everything and the killer still knocked him out. If it weren't for the guys guarding the residential wings, he could have ended up dead." He shook his head. "Geez, Adachi, for all the times to screw up…"

Dojima burst in. "Is he still alive?" He bent down to Adachi and pulled the doped detective's chin up. "Hey, Adachi! You there?"

Adachi opened his eyes slightly, emitting a deep groan.

Dojima placed the detective's head back on the ground. "Good." He looked at the other two officers. "Did you two see any of this?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"Nope."

"Not at all. Oh! But we think that the killer goes off of people who talk about the Mayumi Yamano murder." The cop on the left grinned.  
>The other cop clipped him on the back of the head. "Hey! That was my idea! Coattail-rider!"<p>

"Geez, man, I'm just saying…"

"And I'm just saying don't steal my ideas."

Dojima furrowed his brow again. "Will you two shut up? This is serious business."

"But all of the kidnappings are related to the murders getting media attention."

Dojima thought for a second and nodded. "I think you're right."

The police officer to the right did a little dance. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yes. Shut up." Dojima growled. "Get Adachi to the police car. And take care of him. He's just been drugged, and we don't want him hurting himself. Plus, he has information on the killer firsthand."

As the two police officers did a medic carry for Adachi, Dojima looked around the room. "Dammit, where could the killer have gone?" He walked outside to see wide tire tracks heading away from the rear driveway. He bent down.

"These tracks are big. A van or truck, most likely." He threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. "Dammit, we need more clues."

-…-

Dojima Residence

Yui's Room

"Big Sis… I'm scared."

Yui looked up to see Nanako in her pajamas, standing outside her door. She stood up from her studying desk and walked over. "What's wrong?"

"Dad's not home, and he hasn'tcalled."

"Well, Nanako, he's just interviewing a guy at my school."

Nanako stepped back in horror. "The murderer was from your school?"

"No… we don't know that. Your dad's just trying to make sure he isn't."

"But he's never this late… He said he'd be back in time for dinner, right?"

"Well, I never heard him say that…"

"He's never here! He's never here when I'm scared!" Nanako started crying, and Yui bent down to embrace her. Nanako fell onto her Big Sis, crying softly. Wrapping her arms around the little girl, Yui's mouth formed a sad smile.

"Nanako… You know your dad's a police officer, right?"

"M-hm…" Nanako sniffled.

"So his job is to keep you safe. He's trying to make the world better so that you don't have to be scared."

Nanako nodded. "I know… but… when Mom died…" She burst into tears again. "Dad's never here! It was easier when there was Mom, but…" Lines of water marked the little girl's cheeks.

"Shh, Nanako… I'm here for you…" Yui stroked her little sister's hair.

"Big Sis… Don't leave me…"

"I'm not going to leave you, Nanako. Not now."

-…-

Nanako was asleep by the time Dojima got home. Yui, however, was sitting on the couch, her mouth pursed. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Dojima tiptoed inside, putting his suitcase beside the door. Yui stood up and turned to him.

"Oh." Dojima looked at his niece. "I didn't think you'd be up."

Before he could turn off the lights, Yui murmured in a hard tone, "We need to talk."

Dojima stopped and turned around. "About what?"

"About Nanako. She was crying."

Dojima looked down guiltily and moved to turn off the lights again. "I'll talk to her in the morning. Right now, we both need to get some-"

"For her mother."

Dojima's hand twitched, stuck halfway between turning the light off again. "What did she say?"

"She said that you're never here, and that she's scared. She also said her mother made it easier for her to wait." Yui looked at the television, contemplating her reflection in the glass.

Dojima swallowed. "Okay… We can talk about this tomorrow. But…" He turned back to Yui. "I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Mogura isn't a suspect anymore."

Yui broke her gaze from the televison. "What's the bad news?"

Taking a breath, Ryotaro whispered, "Yukiko Amagi's been kidnapped."

-…-

Next Day: Tuesday, April 26

Morning

Yasogami High School

"Well, this keeps on getting better and better, doesn't it?" Yui snarled as she folded another perfect origami crane, tossing it on the table. After looking at it for a few seconds, she crushed it under the palm of her hand and sighed. It joined a pile of five others on the corner of her desk. She couldn't enjoy simple things like that with all the worries flowing in her head.

However, at least one thing was for certain. Yukiko was inside the Midnight Channel. And, if she had read the weather correctly, the team had until Friday to save her.

And she had to deal with Ai, who, surprisingly, hadn't bothered her after her talk with Chie. She looked at Yosuke, who somehow managed to fall asleep _before_ class started. She sighed. If life was a video game, then that would probably be an achievement. He looked so stupid and yet so peaceful. A grin formed on her face, and she un-flattened her set of cranes.

-…-

Five minutes later, Chie walked in to find a group of whispering students huddled around the two desks where Yui and Yosuke usually sat. Warily putting her bag down, Chie peeked inside the huddle to see Yui standing over a sleeping Yosuke.

"Yui, what are you doing?"

Yui turned to look, but a flutter of paper made her spin around and sigh. Paper cranes fluttered to the floor, and Yosuke woke with a start. "Mph?"

-!-

"What the hell? What did you do to my face?" Yosuke patted his face down and held up a crumpled paper crane. He turned to Yui with a red face. "Yui… what is this and what were you doing?"

Yui tried to act innocent, but Yosuke didn't buy it. "Yui…"

She rolled her eyes. "All right, fine. I saw you sleeping and tried to stack origami cranes on your face. Big deal." She puffed.

Now it was Yosuke's turn to roll his eyes. "Suuuurrrre."

"What did you think I was-" Her brow furrowed. "Don't answer that."

"Too late. My pure heart has been corrupted." The slacker grinned.

"Shut up, you pervert." A small cough drew her attention to Chie.

Satonaka looked quite angry, but seemed to be handling her temper quite well. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat. "When you two have finished your lover's spat-"

"It's not a lover's spat!" Yui blurted.

"Says you…" Yosuke muttered.

She slapped him. "Shut up! What is it, Chie?"

"I was going to say that Yukiko has been kidnapped. For real this time."

Yosuke sat up. "Yeah, so? I heard about it on the morning news."

-#!-

"So Yukiko's kidnapped! Don't you care?" Chie kicked his chair.

"Alright, alright!" Yosuke rubbed his rump. "The abuse I take…_" _He muttered.

"You deserve all of it." She turned back to Chie. "I watched the weather, and they say the next time the fog rolls in will be Friday."

"So we only have four days at best to save Yukiko?" Chie grumbled.

"I'm afraid so… We're gonna have Mogura, though. My uncle said he got cleared after Yukiko got kidnapped because he had a clean alibi and he was in the questioning room when the murderer appeared."

Chie snorted. "Finally, that guy's gonna be useful for something."

"Do you have to go against Mogura in everything?" The slacker looked up with a piercing glare. "What did he ever do to you?"

"But…" She sighed. "Yeah… Sorry."

Yosuke shrugged. "Whatever, but he and I have to stay for basketball practice. We can meet up with you afterwards in Junes."

Yui was about to protest, but the bell rang, and class began.

-…-

After School

Chie chewed on her pencil's eraser and looked down at the list in front of her. "Greaves for me, a sword to replace that golf club of yours, kunai for Yosuke, and… A new guidance staff for Mogura, probably made of steel and tipped with something." She looked around. "Yep. I think we're good here."

They were standing in the Shopping District's metalworking shop, which apparently also sold functional armor and weapons.

Yui looked at Chie weirdly as she picked up what appeared to be a breastplate and held it up to look at. "You seem to know exactly what to buy here. Are you sure you're not telling me something I should know?" She carefully lowered the armor onto its stand. "And what on earth are greaves?"

Chie held up her leg as if she were about to kick. "Greaves are kinda like armored shin-guards." She traced the area and then put her foot down. "They're good if you want to practice high-powered kicking against rough or jagged objects, like trees."

Yui looked around again at the dusty shop and sighed. "I'll take your word for it. So, let's get something." She drew a long-bladed sword that looked like it had previously belonged to a samurai. She turned it around, checking how it handled in her hand. Balanced as it was, it would be dependable enough to use for now. She was about to slice the air in front of her with it when she realized where she was. Embarrassingly, she put the blade back and brought it to Chie, who looked at it and nodded.

"This seems like a good one. Alright," She held up the rest of the supplies. "We're ready to check out."

As the two girls walked up to the counter, the owner looked at them strangely. "Um, can I help you?" He looked at Yui holding the samurai blade and Chie carrying a steel staff, kunai, and a pair of reinforced shoes with a suspicious eye.

"Yeah… We just want to buy this stuff. Nothing big."

The salesman looked over the weapons, gave them another stare, and said, "15600 yen."

Chie looked like she was about to throw up, and Yui was looked through her wallet nervously.

After they had made a small pile of bills on the counter, Chie muttered, "This had better be worth it."

-…-

?

?

Yukiko sat up and looked around, blinking the pink fog out of her eyes. She looked around. Pink fog? Carefully standing up as to not harm her robe, she looked around. There was nothing all around but pink fog. She looked around again and cried out, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Nothing happened. She called again. "Please! Can someone hear me?"

"Nobody can hear us…" A sneering voice called out from the fog.

Yukiko turned around. "What? Where are you?" She saw a dark-haired girl in a fancy European-style pink dress standing with her back facing Amagi.

"It's useless… Our prince will never come."

"What are you talking about? Do you live here?" Yukiko walked over to the girl.

"I live here now. After all, nobody's gonna save me."

Yukiko hurried her pace.

"They've forgotten you too."

Soon she was almost sprinting, but the girl never appeared to get any closer.

"I just wish… I could be…"

The girl looked up.

"Anywhere but here…"

And as soon as Yukiko put her hand on the girl's shoulder, she disappeared.

-…-

**NEXT SCENT: KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR**

"…_raining for the next two days…"_

"_Now we have some time to save Yukiko."_

"_What is this place?"_

"_Only I can save Yukiko!"_


	10. Chapter 9: Knight In Shining Armor

Author's Note: I have finally gotten off of exams, and now I can finally post the continuation of this story. Don't worry. I haven't quite given up on this yet. It's gonna be kind of chapter-heavy in regards to the plot until the Yukiko arc completes. After that, we get a little break before the next challenge our heroes get!/Author's Note

-...-

Outside the gym, Yui and Chie waited for practice to end. Sitting lazily as the boys on the inside ran laps and went through shooting drills, Yui quickly got bored and looked around. To her surprise, she saw Ai sitting off to the side, looking huffy as usual. Yui tapped Chie on the shoulder and mouthed, _Don't follow me._

She stood up and walked over to Ai, taking a breath and tentatively tapping her on the shoulder.

"What is it?" Ai snapped.

"Are you okay?" Yui asked. "I- I'm sorry that I didn't help you as much as I should have." She looked away, embarrassed.

"I'll say." Flipping her hair back, the other girl sighed. "I've been trying to talk to Kou for days, but he just won't talk to me. He's always too busy with his stupid basketball team."

Yui gritted her teeth and resisted punching Ai in the face. "Maybe he'd like you more if you'd appreciate his choices more."

"Like the choice that he made to cut me from being manager?"

"No," Yui growled, close to yelling, "The choice he made to stick with his team! The choice he made to not give up when he could have walked out!" By this time, she towered over Ai, at least in a metaphorical sense. "And, now that I think about it, yeah! The choice he made to cut you from being manager! Because you didn't care for the basketball team!" She had turned huffy and red in the face from yelling so loudly, and the noise had attracted Chie's attention.

Ai was about to interrupt, but Yui continued. "If you want to be team manager, go ahead! But either way, it's about time you cared about someone besides yourself!"

**-Persona4-**

**CHAPTER 9: KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR **

_Courage- Brave_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Persuasive_

_Understanding- Kindly_

_Diligence- Strong_

**-Persona 4-**

Ai looked away and said nothing. Small tears formed in her eyes, but at this point Yui didn't care. "Fine." The white-haired girl got up silently and walked into the gym, completely ignoring Chie. But just before she was going to push open the door, she stopped. Turning toward the brunette, she locked eyes with Satonaka. Chie, taking this as an act of aggression, glared back. But her glare softened as she realized there was no emotion in Ai's eyes. Suddenly, Eibhara blinked and whispered, "I'm sorry."

It was Chie's turn to blink. "What? Sorry?"

"I've done enough to hurt you all." Ai turned away from the gym and stepped toward the outside door. Yui jumped up. "Wait!" She grabbed Ai's shoulder to find that she was smiling sadly.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to hurt myself. I just need a little time to think." The smile turned into a frown, and she continued to walk out.

As soon as the door closed, Yui silently swore herself out. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! I screwed up yet again! It's no wonder she hates me!_ She caught her breath. _ Okay, calm down. It's not that bad. I can get through this. The best thing to do here is to calmly see this mess out to the end._

"Um, Yui?" Chie asked.

"What?" The grey-haired girl groaned.

"The guys are getting out." The bouncing of basketballs had stopped, and there was some chatting and laughter from in the gym.

Yui turned around to see the gym doors swing open. Most of the basketball team poured out, including Yosuke, who was panting and sweating, even after having taken a shower. Yu was slightly disturbed by this fact, and stepped back.

"Um, so, how did it go?" She asked tentatively.

"Awfully." Yosuke dropped his bag on the floor and slid down next to it. "We ran dribbling drills the whole damn practice!" He groaned and rubbed his legs. "Thank God he said practice was canceled until Friday's game." He looked up. "Rain was gonna be a problem for the guys that walked home Thursday, and Wenesday half of the guys have Drama or some shit."

"Where's Mogura?" Yui asked. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

"Um… Yeah.. about that… apparently, he got picked up for more questioning… Lucky bastard." Yosuke groaned again, rubbing his biceps tenatively.

"WHAT?" Chie screamed. She grabbed Yosuke by the scruff of his collar and shook him. "You mean we have to go to the police office after him?"

Yosuke pushed Chie's grip off of him and slipped to the ground. "Hey, lay off, okay? My legs still hurt. But, yeah, unfortunately, you're right." He sighed. "It's really late, and my legs _really_ hurt. Could we please just skip the trip today? After all, we have tomorrow and Thursday." He made his best pleading face.

It didn't help. Chie shook her head. "No way. Yukiko may die in there! We've got to go as soon as possible!"

Yui nodded and picked up Yosuke's bag. "Pull yourself together and get to Junes. Chie and I will get Mogura and meet you there."

Yoskue groaned and struggled up. "If I die of exhaustion, my ghost is coming after you."

Chie and Yui ignored him, running out the doors of the school and carrying both their weapons and Yosuke's bookbag.

-…-

Inaba Police Station

Chie beat Yui to the door, carrying Yosuke's bookbag on her back. Yui stopped to put the weapon bag down in the lobby with her backpack, and followed Chie to the front desk.

"We need to talk to Mogura Inja, please!" Chie tapped on the desk.

The lady behind the counter looked up and smiled sadly. "Oh, I'm afraid he's in questioning right now, but he should be out in five minutes…"

Chie drummed her fingers impatiently. "Could we at least talk to whoever is interviewing him?"

The receptionist shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we don't allow people to just burst in on police business. If you could wait a few minutes, maybe…" She saw Yui's pleading look and sighed. "Fine. I'll call Dojima."

She picked up the desk phone and punched in three numbers. Putting the earpiece up to her head, she waited for a second and then spoke. "Officer Dojima, there are two girls out here that want to talk to Mr. Inja." She listened and looked at the girls. "Yes, one of them has grey hair. Should I send them in?"

She put down the phone. "Dojima would like to talk to you himself."

The girls were walking down the hall when they saw a shoddily-dressed but clean-shaven detective sulking outside the interview room. When he saw them, he perked up. "Hey, aren't you Yukiko-chan's friends?"

Chie stopped and nodded. "Yeah? What's wrong? Did you find her?"

The policeman frowned. "Uh… No, but we do have an idea who the killer is!"

Chie perked up. "Really? That's great! Who is it?"

The detective frowned again. "Well, because I only saw him from the back and Mogura is blind… Our range is pretty wide, to say the least."

"Oh." Chie looked down.

Yui looked around, feeling kind of nervous. She had never really been in a police office before.

"But still, we are almost entirely sure that the culprit was male!" He smiled. "Just so you know, my name's Tohru Adachi." He held out his hand. Yui shook it, still slightly nervous.

"Don't worry. Dojima can tell you all about the fish-eyed kid. He came in saying he did everything."

Chie looked up in surprise. "Wait. What fish-eyed kid?"

Adachi swallowed and looked around. "Um, I don't think I should have said that…"

Satonaka glared at him. "Well, what else shouldn't you say? Who is this fish-eyed guy?"

She intensified her glare, and Adachi started sweating heavily. "Um, Ah…" The door behind Tohru opened, granting him a line of escape. "H-here! Dojima can tell you! I have to get to interviewing the suspect. Bye!" He half-ran towards another room, pulled out a set of keys, and unlocked it. He closed the door behind him quickly and another click was heard.

Ryotaro stepped up to replace the other detective. He had a coffee mug in one hand and a confused look on his face. "What was that all about?"

Yui shifted and asked him, "Adachi said something about a fish-eyed kid who said he committed the murders. Can we see him?"

Ryotaro looked at the door which Adachi had entered. "Soon. Right now I need to ask you some questions."

They entered what appeared to be an interrogation room, the two girls noticed Mogura sitting quietly in one of the chairs. He carried his guidance staff in one hand and didn't look up. Dojima sat down opposite to Mogura and cleared his throat.

Mogura said nothing.

"Yui, when did you first meet Mogura?" Dojima looked up.

"Um, I think I saw him on the train to Inaba, but I really only met him when he frightened off…"

_Yui remembered the creepy guy that had confronted them and actually tried to attack them. Mogura had scared him off. It was his first time actually meeting Yui or Yukiko._

"…This creepy-looking guy that was asking Yukiko Amagi out and almost hurt me and Yukiko."

Ryotaro burst from the table eyes wild with surprise. "He tried to attack you?"

Yui nodded. "Yeah. He had a backhand ready and everything when Mogura overheard us and stepped in." Ryotaro clenched his fists and sat down, seething with anger.

He turned to Mogura again. "Well, is there anything you'd like to add or correct?" His tone was sharper, more impatient.

Mogura nodded. "What seems strange to me was how quick he was to try and use physical force on them. I was very close to school… Not more than a five-minute walk. Why would he have done something like that? He could have easily been arrested or interrupted, like the way I did." He stood up and tapped his staff on the floor. "It just doesn't make sense… But, then again…" His head turned toward Yui and Chie. "…neither does hanging someone up on a telephone pole, eh?"

Chie nodded. "Yeah." She scowled. "But whoever this guy is, he's going to pay for what he did!" She shifted from one foot to the next excitedly. "I'd like to know where he is so I can kick his…" She cut herself off after catching a glare from Dojima. "Oh… Sorry." She blushed abashedly and stepped back, hands behind her back.

Dojima sighed. "Fine. As soon as Adachi is done interviewing him, you can talk to him. But I will have to be in the room at all times."

Yui nodded. "Sounds good."

Mogura pushed his chair in. "That seems reasonable. So where is he?"

Dojima moved to outside the door. "Follow me. It's only about two doors down, though."

Following him out and down the hallway, they came across a larger interrogation room. It was darkened, but there was a large window that could be used for viewing the room. The room was spacious and appeared to only have a table in it, like the room Mogura had been in. Mitsuo and Adachi seemed to be having an argument, one that seemed to be heating up at an enormous rate. Adachi slammed his fist on the table, and Mitsuo got up with a wild look in his eyes. He jumped at Adachi, and the lamp clattered to the floor. There was a smash, and the room went completely dark.

Dojima pulled out his pistol and grabbed at the keys on his belt. Chie went to the door's handle and pulled down on it. Yui tried to stop her, but the door wasn't opening anyway. "Come on!" Satonaka shoved down hard on the doorknob, but it didn't budge. "Move, you stupid thing!"

Dojima pulled out the correct key, pushed Chie and Yui to the side, and unlocked the door. Kicking it open, he lowered his pistol to shoulder height and shouted, "Freeze! Get down on the ground!" Chie reached her arm around and turned on the regular lights, revealing Adachi lying on the ground. He had pulled out his pistol and was pointing it around the room. Looking scared, his eyes darted around, and his holster was still unclipped.

Both detectives checked the whole room, including behind a television set and around the upturned table, but found nothing.

Dojima swore, stomped out his cigarette, and hammered the wall with his fist. "Goddamnit! Every time!" He hit the wall again, each time harder. "EVERY-" _Crack- "DAMN-" Crack! "TIME!" Crack!_

Yui stepped forward. "Dojima-san… I…"

Ryotaro turned around and pointed a finger out the door. "Get out and go home, all of you."

"But..." Chie stepped forward.

"I SAID GET OUT!" Ryotaro slammed the butt of his pistol into the wall, this time causing a visible dent. "Get... out… Yui… I... will… speak… to… you… later…" he huffed, barely containing his anger.

Yui took Chie by the shoulders, turned her around, and marched her out of the police office without another word. Mogura followed a little behind them.

"What was that all about?" Chie shifted her friend's grip off of her when they had left the building.

Yui looked down. "I… I think Mitsuo went into the TV World."

"The TV World?" Mogura stopped and tapped his staff on the ground again. "If he could, that would pin him as the murderer, dead-on. Nobody else fits the criteria as of yet."

"Yeah… But…" Chie clenched her fists. "That means Yukiko is stuck in there with a creeper that not only is a killer, but wants to rape her, too!"

"That won't end well." Mogura kicked the ground. "Grr… We don't have enough time! We can't go tonight, but after that we have until Friday? Dammit!"

"I'd better call Yosuke." Yui pulled out her phone. After a few rings, she heard a receiver click. "Yosuke… I have some bad news…"

-…-

Next Day:

Wednesday, March 26

"All right. Is everybody ready?" Yui asked, hefting the bag of weapons into the T.V. Yosuke stood guard as the heavy bag slipped into the plasma screen's vortex.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Chie chirped, balling her hands into fists.

"Nope." Mogura leaned on his guidance staff lazily and tipped his shades off. He smirked in disbelief. "We've been standing here for fifteen minutes. Of course I'm ready!"

Yosuke looked around again. "Coast is clear. Let's go." He checked one more time, then walked over to the TV. Yui stood there, expectantly. "What?" He asked. "Go already."

"No." Yui glared at him. "You go first."

"Huh?" The slacker looked confused. Then he smirked. "Oh… Scared, are we?" He nodded. "That's fine. I'll go first and make sure it's safe."

Before he could make it into the TV, however, Yui grabbed him by the collar, pushed him into the side of the TV, and growled, "I'm telling you to go first because you're gonna try some perverted crap if I try to enter it before you. If you so much as imply that I'm scared when I'm not again, I will personally castrate you with the kunai I bought you." The slacker could finally see the city girl's family resemblance with someone from Inaba, and it wasn't Nanako.

He smiled nervously and gulped. "Y-You bought me kunai?"

"T.V. NOW."

Hanamura entered the TV. Then Yui stepped in with the duffel bag of weapons, still uncertain. When Mogura was halfway in, he paused. "Chie?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah?" The brunette checked to see if anyone was watching. When nobody was looking, she turned to look at the Hermit. "What is it?"

"Yui spends way too much time with you."

He slipped in with a laugh just as Chie lunged for the boy's neck.

-…-

TV World

Yui dusted herself off and hefted the bag off of her shoulder. "Alright, everyone, Chie and I got you guys weapons. Mogura, you got a heavy metal staff to replace your flimsy plastic guider."

"Natch." He picked up the heavier bar and checked it for balance. "Not bad. This could crack some serious heads." He placed his regular staff inside the duffel bag.

"Chie got a pair of greaves, or special armor that covers her shoes…"

"Yep." The martial artist cheerfully attached the reinforced covers over her school shoes and took a few kicks to prepare for battle.

"Yosuke, you get kunai…" She tossed the two dagger-like weapons towards the boy.

He deftly caught them and twirled them around. "Nice."

"And I…" She pulled the old sword she had bought out and held it out in front of her. "Sweet blade, right?" She swung it around and checked its balance again before sheathing it.

"Dude, not fair. Why do you get a freaking sword?"

Yui rolled her eyes. "Because I paid for this freaking sword, that's why. That reminds me. You and Mogura owe us money for the weapons."

"What? Aw, come on." Yosuke rolled his eyes. "I bought you steak, right? So do I get off from this one?"

"No way." Yui shook her head. "That was a gift, remember? You're not going to sneak out of this that easily."

"But I pay for all sorts of stuff! Come on, Yui! My next paycheck is in two weeks."

"So how were you magically able to come up with the money to pay me with, huh?" Chie butted in.

"Very carefully. Now, can we drop all of this and go?" Yosuke spun around his newly-acquired kunai nervously.

The leader sighed. "All right. But Mogura, you can't get off the hook for this one." The American shrugged and nodded. "Makes sense."

Narukami rolled her shoulders and drew her sword again. "All right, let's go find Teddie."

-…-

Cowering near the obliterated gate of a huge castle was the ever-furry Teddie. He jumped up and ran away when he heard the team's footsteps. "AIEEE! Please don't hurt me! I'm just a cute little bear!" He tripped over some rubble and fell flailing to the ground. "NOOOO! I'm too cute to dieeeeee! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa-Why?"

Yosuke stepped over and picked the little bear up by his right arm. "Hey, come on, you stupid bear! It's just us!"

When Teddie saw Yosuke, he stopped crying. After about half a second, he began to cry again. "You- You guys came for me!" Yosuke dropped him back on the ground, but he bounced back up and waddled toward the rest of the group. He smiled and waved. "I knew you'd come for me! I'm bear-y happy to see you all! Even Yosuke!"

The auburn slacker did a double-take."Wha- Okay, I kind of deserved that one." he conceded.

"So what happened here?" A formerly pristine castle made out of dull pink bricks and grey mortar had been blown apart where a gate used to be. "What is this place?" Dust and huge chunks of stone were scattered across the area. It almost looked familiar, though Yui couldn't put her finger on why. "It looks like someone took a wrecking ball to this gate."

"Hey, Yui, look at this!" Chie ran her hand along the wall and a dark powder came off. "It looks like someone burned this part of the wall." Rubbing her forefinger and thumb together, she saw ashes dissolve off into the air and drift to the ground.

Yosuke shook his head. "That's really weird… only Yui has Fire Personae… But you haven't even summoned your Persona, right?" He looked at his friend.

"Yeah! The guy that came through here…"

Yui nodded. "We've never seen fire-based Shadows before, and even if this was an area they'd be in… What were they fighting?"

"So is there another Persona-user in here?" Mogura wondered. "Mitsuo is in here, but there's no way he could have gotten his Persona. Our shadows tried to kill us, and that guy wouldn't stand five seconds versus Polyphemus if he couldn't stand up to me."

"You guys, I was a-bear-t to tell you…"

"Whoever it is, we have to stop him!" Chie pulled out her card. "Tomoe!" The yellow-suited warrior and her master rushed forward into the halls of the castle.

"Hey, wait!" Teddie screamed, and everybody left looked at him. "There was a guy that came through here! He had a Bear-sona, and that thing nearly destroyed the whole front of the castle trying to get in. I had to run for my bear-y life! You guys need to be careful!"

Yui nodded. "Don't worry about us. We can take care of this." She soon hurried after Chie. "Chie, wait!"

"Come on!" Hanamura and Jiraya were soon close at her heels.

Mogura cursed and ran after them. "Hey! Wait up! Do you know how hard it is to run around not knowing where anything is?"

"Oh, cry me a river!" Yosuke snapped.

"Follow my voice, Mokura!" Teddie dashed ahead.

"It's Mogura." The American was looking slightly peeved.

"Momura."

"No."

"Mosura."

"No."

"Mohura."

"No. Stop trying." The Hermit furrowed his brow in irritation.

"Mofura?"

Mogura sighed. "For the love of-" He was interrupted by a burst of ice and fire that went careening around a corner and into the wall to their left. Steam smoked off of the wall, and everybody went on guard before turning the corner.

As they creeped around the wall's edge to see where the explosion came from, they saw that Tomoe had hacked and flash-frozen most of the enemy. However, a few scragglers got around her and hurtled at Yui. In a flash, Izanagi-jo appeaerd and swung her bladestaff, blowing several Shadows to bits. They were shaped like two mummies held together by bars that passed through their shoulders and legs.

"Come on! Jiraya!"

The wind-based Persona threw the stars on the edge of his sleeves like shiriuken, destroying two more foes. In a flash, Antigone made a full sweep of the area. She was attacked by a leftover Shadow, which grabbed at her legs, but Oedipus pointed his sword at it and it crumpled to the ground, purple smoke billowing out of its wrappings.

"What was that?" Yui turned to the American.

Mogura blinked and realized she was talking to him. "Oh. Um, it's... Uh, what exactly did that do? I couldn't see."

"A little help here?" Chie growled. Several shadows had attached to Tomoe, and she was having a hard time shaking them.

Yosuke grinned. "No problem." Jiraya caught his shiriuken and jumped over Tomoe, catching the Shadows by surprise and tossing the blades. Some of the shadows detached to the Persona detatched due to pure surprise, others got slashed up by the blades. After making a graceful flip to the ground, Jiraya did a spinning dance and caught his blades without missing a beat.

As Tomoe lowered herself to the ground and the Shadows dispersed, Chie rolled her eyes. "Diva."

"Whatever. You're just hating on my ninja skills." Yosuke strutted away, quite proud of himself.

Jiraya flipped Tomoe a thumbs-up. The samurai replied by popping him in the face with the flat end of her staff.

"Wow, these are really manifestations of ourselves." Yui snarked. Mogura looked as confused as ever.

"Wow, Yosuke! That was really cool!" Teddie hurdled towards Yosuke, an amazed look covering his face. "It was almost as cool as Sensei!" Yui smirked triumphantly and readjusted her glasses.

Yosuke grimaced and turned to his leader. "Always one-upping me, aren't you?"

Izanagi-jo twirled her staff around and hurled it past Jiraya and Tomoe. It skewered three new shadows and glanced two more before embedding itself in a wall. Yosuke stood there with a dumbstruck expression on his face before shaking his head in disbelief.

Izanagi-jo swooped around and pulled her weapon into a fighting stance. "Yes I am, Yosuke. Now, let's go." Yui ran around the corner, her Persona readied. Mogura and Oedipus followed her, the latter pulling along Antigone, who had stopped to applaud the awesome feat.

Chie huffed and stomped after the two. Passing by Yosuke, she glared at him.

"What? Jealous?" Yosuke elbowed her in the ribs, and she punched him in the face.

"Don't touch me." She looked away, trying hard to keep her face from flushing. _Stupid Yui and her stupid cool attacks. My Persona can do stuff like that too, right?_

Apparently, Yosuke didn't listen, because he soon put his arm over her shoulder, to Chie's eternal irritancy. "I'm sorry, but you have to admit that was cool, both times."

The martial artist couldn't help but notice the creeping nature of Hanamura's hand and arm. She glared him down again. "Yosuke, do you ever want to have children?"

The Magician couldn't resist a quip. "Who's asking?"

-…-

Yosuke had to explain in painful detail exactly why he had to have some aspirin to Yui before she would fork it over.

-…-

Oedipus pulled his sword out of the tattered remains of another tongue-monster and kicked it off of him. Tomoe flash-froze two more in quick succession, and Jiraya danced around like he had before, tossing the pair of disks and sending up gusts of wind. Yui, on the other hand, was changing Personas at lightning speed, going from an angel to a ball of slime to Izanagi and back. Whenever one enemy fell by her hands, she pulled out a different card.

Soon there was little to stand against the team but dissolved remains of fallen shadows and the wind that blew them away. Mogura stepped up to the others and wiped sweat off of his face.

"Well… I, Uh, expected this to be a little more… exciting."

"Exciting?" Yui asked. "We're inside a television fighting weird creatures with gigantic spiritual weapons. What isn't exciting about that?"

Mogura shrugged. "I guess the impact of this whole thing really hasn't sunk in yet."

Yosuke slapped the American on the back. "Ah, you'll get used to it…"

"What are you blabbering about? You've had your Persona for less than two weeks yourself!" Chie exclaimed.

"Shh. Shut up!" Yosuke waved her objection off. "And anyway, I have more experience with this than you!"

Teddie sniffed the air and began to tremble. "G-guys… It's that Bear-sona from earlier… the one that blew up the front of the castle."

The others looked at him before realizing that there was something wrong twith the room in front of them.

"Black smoke is creeping under the door. It must be in there." Chie stepped back and charged towards the door, trying to ram it with her shoulder. To her surprise, it opened without her touching it, and she slipped through the door , falling on her face. Tomoe was not so lucky and ended up stuck between the open gap and the other part of the double-door. With a large explosion of ice and wood, the Persona swung her staff around, ready for just about anything.

It was lucky she was, because no sooner had she looked around then she was thrown back by a blast of fire. She didn't collapse, but she did hit her back on the remains of the door, bringing it beyond repair and revealing the situation to the rest of the group.

Inside this room, tiles had been cracked and fancy decorations were strewn around in piles of rubble. What appeared to be a Persona crouched on the other side of the room, holding two bastard swords, one in each hand, and was wearing a flaming wheel attached to his back. However, it seemed to be a shadow, given that red smoke hovered around its edges.

"Let's go, guys!" Yui burst in, Izanagi-jo throwing the left door open and charging at the foe The enemy held its swords up to defend and then breathed fire at the Fool Persona.

"Jack-o-Lantern!" The fire was swallowed up harmlessly, caught into the lamp like a flash. Returning the favor, Jack blasted the warrior with some fire of his own. It bounced off, and with a mighty swing from the fiendish being, one of the blades caught Jack in the stomach. Yui winced, but put her hand out again, summoning a Chariot card.

"Slime!" A green pile of goo bounced to the floor, splattering before reforming into a semi-shaped figure.

"Heh. Impressive." From behind the red smoke came an eerily familiar figure. "I never guessed anyone else would get this far." Mitsuo Kubo looked up and grinned, eyes glowing yellow. Red smoke flowed around him like it flowed around his Persona. "Do you like it?" He tipped his head toward the warrior. "His name is Ixion. He's really powerful." A darker smirk passed by Kubo's face. "SO powerful, in fact, that he might be able to kill four people and their 'Persona'-whatevers as well." He held out his hand, and Ixion rushed forward.

Antigone darted towards the enemy and between the flashing blades. Ixion turned around to strike at her just as Oedipus caught him with a haymaker to the face. Snapping back and swinging blindly, the dark warrior stumbled back and teetered side-to-side. "You!" Mitsuo gritted his teeth and pointed at Mogura accusingly. "You just had to come and follow me!" Red smoke started to surround him, like it did his Persona. "You… You think you can save Yukiko, don't you?" His eyes glowed more brightly yellow.

Yui and Chie moved their Personas directly in front of Ixion, and Oedipus and Jiraya flanked him from the sides. Jiraya had his shiriuken out, and Oedipus pointed his broadsword at the dual-wielder. Antigone disappeared behind her father, obviously frightened by Ixion.

"That bastard… He thinks he can just do whatever he wants with women, doesn't he?" Mogura gritted his teeth.

Mitsuo audibly hissed and clenched his fists."What else am I supposed to do? Sit by while idiots like you take all the pretty girls? No… I need privacy… And what's more private than a world only you know about?"

"So you did throw Yukiko in here! Where is she?" Chie screamed. "I'm tired of waiting! Spit it out!"

Mitsuo clutched his head in disgust. "You… You think you can save Yukiko? Is that it?"

"Hell yeah! You don't think we came in here for nothing, do you?" Yosuke stepped forward. "Actually, now that I think about it, we're here to get you, too! You… You killed Saki-senpai, didn't you?" He gripped his kunai tightly. "And that announcer too, right?"

"Heh… He he he… Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Mitsuo grinned evilly. "Of course I did. That's the only thing that makes sense, right?"

"You can't just kill people, Mitsuo! Who do you think you are?" Yui put her sword at guard.

Mitsuo gave off thicker, darker smoke. **"I'm the hero! I'm the guy who's gonna save the day!"** He laughed again, this time more insane than evil. **"Only I can save Yukiko!"** He dissolved into his dark Persona, who swelled in size and clashed his blades together. **"I'm her knight in shining Armor! I'm the savior of the world from corrupt people! I'm Mitsuo the Hero! And I will slay you all!"** In an explosion of red and black, Ixion roared and clattered his armor together before holding out his two blades.

Teddie shivered. "He's ready to attack! Go, go, go!"

Yui held out her hand. "Izanagi-jo!" The Fool Persona dutifully appeared. Yui looked around at her friends' faces, gritted in expectation.

"Attack!"

And all five Personae rushed to battle.

-…-

**-Persona4-**

**NEXT SCENT: CAGED IN**

"_Can't they tell it was him?"_

"_Yukiko!"_

"_You're not my girlfriend!"_

"_**If you won't be my Prince, I'll make my own!"**_

**-Persona4-**


	11. Chapter 10: Caged In

A swipe from Ixion, and the battle was on. Diving toward Tomoe, the dark Persona tried to use his two blades to attack from above and below. Tomoe spun her staff in a circle, dashing the blades away and throwing the fiend off guard. She made two cuts in the shape of an X and threw a blast of freezing air, encasing Ixion's head in ice. Jiraya tossed one disc into the enemy's shoulder and one into his crotch. The monster roared in pain and slashed out blindly, catching Oedipus in the face and forcing Izanagi back.

With a burst of fire, ice shards went flying everywhere, and the enemy shook its head. Holding out its hand, it blasted Tomoe with a fireball, sending her and her master sprawling. Then he charged himself with red lightning. Oedipus took a fencing stance and jabbed at Ixion's shoulder with dazzling speed. Clutching a smoking wound, Ixion used his right sword to fend the Hermit off. But Izanagi-jo sliced a gash across his chest, eliciting another roar and a flash of blue light. Suddenly, all of his wounds were healed, down to the last scratch, and his armor looked brand new.

"What? Oh, come on!" Yosuke stepped back. Jiraya dodged two slashes Ixion directed towards him and taunted the dark Persona. Neglecting his surroundings, the two-bladed fiend charged. He was cut off by Izanagi-jo and Tomoe, before Oedipus put his broadsword right between two spokes of the wheel and under the shoulderblade. Roaring in pain, Ixion grabbed Oedipus and hurled him at Jiraya. Both male Persona went tumbling, and Oedipus lost his grip on his sword. Stepping on the Magician to get up, Oedipus dashed toward his sword. Ixion, who seemed to be unnaturally focused on killing him, brushed Izanagi-jo away and took a slice at the Hermit.

Mogura winced as the blade hipped off of his avatar's shoulder. "Is everybody okay? I think I collided with someone. I mean Oedipus collided with someone."

"Yeah. Thanks for asking." Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Mind not stepping on me next time?" Jiraya tossed his shiriuken at Ixion's head. One missed, but the other caught the monster in the eye. Roaring in pain, the monster healed itself again.

"Guys! That that thing keeps healing itself! You have to stop it!" Teddie yelped.

"NO SHIT, BEARLOCK!" Chie screamed as Tomoe got pushed back. "But how do we do it?"

"Well, it's weak to ice…" Teddie put his paws together.

"What? Really?" Chie's glare disappeared.

"A-bear-solutely!"

"Then let's go! Bufu!" Tomoe swung her staff around, and a whirlwind of ice frosted the dark Persona. Staggering around, it attempted to melt its way out, but there was no helping it. Ixion staggered backwards and collapsed.

"Strike while the iron is hot!" Mogura cried. "Or cold…"

"All-Out Attack!" Yui called.

"Then to Hell with him!"

-Persona4-

CHAPTER 10: CAGED IN

_Courage- Brave_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Persuasive_

_Understanding- Generous_

_Diligence- Strong_

-Persona 4-

The Personas and their owners laid into the enemy mercilessly. When the ice had actually cleared away from Ixion, he was staggered and weak. Before he could roar again, Mogura cried, "STRIKE SILENT!"

Even though Ixion opened his mouth, nothing came out. There was a small flash of blue, but healing never came. Everyone quickly realized what exactly had happened before Tomoe hacked Ixion straight in the face. Both of his swords fell to the ground, and he cowered before the Chariot.

"Your time's up." Tomoe sliced straight through Ixion's neck, the death causing an explosion like the other Shadows did when they were destroyed. Mitsuo lay on the ground in his Persona's place, eyes closed and breathing heavily. The other three stepped forward, followed by Teddie.

"Get up." Chie said. Mitsuo opened his eyes, but quickly closed them. "I said GET UP!" Chie kicked the creeper's leg. He winced and sat up.

"What? No… I… Can't lose… I… I can't have a game over…" HE collapsed again, this time unresponsive no matter how hard Chie kicked him.

"I think you may have killed him." Mogura said. "I'd check his pulse, but... He's kinda so jerkish I don't want to touch him."

"I don't blame you… Geez." Yosuke looked at Mitsuo with a sickened face. "Man… this guy must be seriously freaking insane if he'd kill two people and kidnap another two…"

"Well, we've gotta bring him back to the police. And make sure there isn't a TV in the interview room this time." Yui said. Izanagi-jo picked up Mitsuo and flew back towards the exit.

"Wait… What about Yukiko?" Chie aked.

"We can get to her tomorrow. Right now we need to make sure this guy's behind bars."

Chie frowned but nodded. "I guess…"

Before he could leave, Mogura felt a tap on his shoulder. "Yes?"

"It's Togura, right?"

-…-

Next Day: Thursday, March 27

Inaba Police Station

"Rrgh! This is so tedious!" Satonaka paced nervously. "Can't they tell it was him? Adachi says he even confessed!"

Mogura adjusted his sunglasses. "Please. I was here for questioning for like, three days. An hour before school isn't gonna be that bad. Besides, what I'm more worried about is if everybody's stories match up. Jumping into the TV World throws everything off."

Yui looked around at her friends. They all looked exhausted and beaten. _I don't know if we're going to be able to save Yukiko. If we have to go in tomorrow after a fight like that, we're done for. But if we don't go in, we can't save Yukiko._

Then she gritted her teeth. _ No. We have to do this. Yukiko needs us. We'll just have to tough it out._

She rubbed her legs. Her lower calves burned, but seemed to get better the longer she stayed sitting.

"Alright. Yui, I want to talk to you." Yosuke stepped out of the room, and Dojima motioned for her to come in.

She swallowed and made her way to sit down. Ryotaro locked the door behind them and sat down, a serious look on his face. He cleared his throat and put his cup of coffee down on the table.

"Yui…" He checked to see that the rest of the group wasn't looking in, and then turned to glaring at his niece. "What really happened?"

Yui gulped, harder this time. "I… Um, what do you mean?" She shifted uncomfortably.

Ryotaro's stare sharpened. "I mean that nobody in the group has the same story. Chie says she kicked Mitsuo until he became a sobbing mess, while Mogura claims you all found him hiding in the electronics department and he surrendered on the spot, and Yosuke says he beat Mitsuo with a mop and knocked him out cold before the cops got there. Now, Yui, you're my niece. So I need to be able to trust you." He sipped his coffee before continuing. "So. What _really _happened?"

Yui nervously grasped the ribbon on her uniform. "Alright. You really want to know what happened?"

Ryotaro nodded. "Yes."

"Even if it sounds ridiculous?"

"Positive." But Dojima looked more uncertain this time.

The student took a deep breath. "Okay. So, you know how nobody knows how the murders are committed?"

-…-

Dojima was dumbfounded. "You're serious?"

"Completely."

"Even about Mitsuo's… problem?" He coughed.

"Yes."

Dojima looked at the door. "And they all know this?"

Yui nodded.

The detective looked down at the ground. "Uh… I really have no idea how to respond to that." He thought for a second. "Alright… I'm going to pretend we never had this conversation, and ignore whatever it is you're doing, whether you're telling the truth or not. As long as nobody gets hurt, I can ignore this. Alright?"

"Alright." Yui nodded.

Dojima wrote a note. "Now get to school. I don't need you losing your education on my account."

-…-

Yasogami High

"So do you usually clean up after symphonic band?" Yui asked. She was helping Ayane sweep.

"Yes. Actually… I kind of usually work alone, so it's great to have someone else help me…" She looked at the ground sheepishly. "I'm sorry… I should really be doing this myself."

"You don't need to... After all, this is a big job, and it should take more than one person to do." Yui said, pulling out a dustpan.

Matsunaga shifted her feet. "But isn't it selfish to make someone else do the job you should be doing?"

Yui put the broom and pan down. "Well, being selfish is taking more than you should, right?"

"Um… I guess?"

"But this job needs more than one person. So it's not being selfish by asking for help."

"Oh… Okay… I'm sorry…"

"You don't' need to apologize."

"Oh… Okay… I…" She cut herself off.

Yui smiled, and Ayane smiled back. It was good, seeing her consider others so much.

-…-

TV World

Yukiko's Castle

Crashing through the last gate with a shadow impaled on her staff, Tomoe made a way in for Chie.

"Yukiko!" The brunette looked around for a second before continuing to charge into the unknown room.

"Hey, wait up!" Yui followed her, Teddie waddling behind her, with Mogura and Yosuke covering their rear. After everyone was inside, the doors clapped shut, and a spotlight illuminated the room. It was a ballroom, large, colored royal red, and delicate. In the spotlight, a girl in a large pink European-style gown was turned around, holding up a red rose and letting it drift to the floor.

"**Welcome, my princes. It's such a **_**delight **_**to see you all."** The girl shook with a small giggle. She turned around, showing her face. It was Yukiko, all right, or rather, her Shadow. "Ooh. There's a whole bunch of knights that have come here to save me!"

Teddie blushed comedically. "I'm a knight…"He wobbled up and bowed as far as his pudgy form would let him. "It's bear-y much an honor to be a knight for such a bear-y pretty-" Mogura shoved him aside.

"I'd assume that that would be the Shadow?" Inja looked irritated. "Let's get this over with. Where's the real Yukiko so we can get her and leave?"

"**Oh… I see… You're the kind of guy who cuts to the chase, aren't you?"** She giggled and turned around, holding out her arm toward the group. **"I like strong princes. You look very strong… In more ways than one…"** She licked her lips seductively.

Yosuke's right hand twitched, and sweat started flowing down his face, but Mogura stood indifferent.

"And you sound like a dreamy goofball. Where's the real Yukiko? She doesn't sound like that."

_Obviously Mogura has a strong will…_ Yui thought, _If I were a guy… well… _She preferred not to think about things like that.

The princess clasped at her chest as if hurt. **"Oh… But I am the real Yukiko!"** She smirked. **"In fact, I'm even real-er than that other person you talk about."** The princess brushed past Mogura with a longing look in her eyes and moved toward Chie, obviously trying to be alluring. **"You're a prince, too… Tell me… Aren't I better than regular old Yukiko? Better than the fretting little porcelain girl always hiding behind you?"** She ran her finger under Chie's chin, but the martial artist growled and slapped the Shadow across the face.

Everyone in the group was stunned. Teddie even started covering his eyes, and Mogura winced from the mere sound.

"You're not Yukiko!" Satonaka screamed. "Yukiko is my friend! You're not her! You're not anything like her! She's so much better than you!" She stepped forward to kick the Shadow, but with a sneer, the princess disappeared into rose blssoms.

"**If you really want the true Yukiko… Meet me in my... personal chambers."** Shadow Yukiko cackled, before her voice died off.

There was a pause, before Yosuke coughed and broke the silence. "Um, can I get some fresh air? That was the tensest thing I have seen in about five years." He shuddered. "Damn. That's just creepy, man. Seriously."

"Go ahead." Yui said. "I don't blame you at all."

Teddie was cowering again, putting his paws all over his head.

"What on earth are you doing?" Chie asked.

"I can't decide whether to cover my eyes or my ears…" He groaned. "That was just horrible…"

Mogura was steaming, gritting his teeth. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

"When everyone's ready, we'll go." Yui looked around, and the rest of the team nodded nervously.

-…-

Soon, Yosuke came back, giving her a thumbs up. Chie looked at the ground for a bit before stepping up and kicking the air.

"That Shadow is going down! I couldn't stand seeing Yukiko stuck with something like that." She tried to look angry, but her voice and her eyes betrayed sadness.

Yosuke spun his kunai around his fingertips. "I'm ready to go whenever you are, partner!"He winked at Yui. The girl ignored it.

Yui turned to Mogura. "You ready?"

Mogura nodded. Oedipus appeared by his side and drew his sword.

-…-

Jiraya led the group into the final area, which was a first. Perhaps it was because of the princess's disturbing beauty. Or perhaps it was because he was being chased by several Shadows at once, who had grown to despise the flashy dancing the wind Persona was doing.

Whatever the reason, he crashed through the double-doors, with a whole lot less elegance than he had been flying around before with.

"Garu!" Yosuke cried out, and a huge tornado spun out from the wind Persona's hands, blowing the Shadows into dark mist. When everything had cleared, the other three and their Personas joined Yosuke.

Yui looked around. It was a large pink bedroom, similar in design and beauty to all the other rooms they had passed through. In the middle of the room was an oversized bed of royal quality. Upon it lay Shadow Yukiko, daintily flipping through a book she was reading on her lap. Looking up, she snarled at the figures in front of her.

"**Oh. So it seems that my boyfriend and his group of chumps have finally come to rescue you. How quaint."**

"You're not my girlfriend!" Mogura cried. "You're not even human!"

In the left corner of the room hung a huge golden cage, with a familiar figure lying on the floor of it..

Chie gasped. "Yukiko? Is that you?"

Yukiko groaned and looked up. "What?" She nearly tripped over her kimono in excitement, standing up and gripping the bars of her cage. "You guys did come for me! Thank goodness you're here!" She rattled the door of her container. "Help!"

The princess laughed. **"How ironic, right? They came to rescue you from me, but not from that infernal Inn."**

"What?" Yukiko turned toward her double. "That infernal Inn? You mean-"

The Shadow rolled her eyes. **"Please. Of course I mean the Amagi Inn! I've been chained up to that place ever since I was born!"** She tossed the book aside. **"Yukiko, wash the dishes… Yukiko, help clean… Yukiko, talk to that damn reporter that won't leave us alone!"**

"That's a lie! You can't just say things like that!"

A laugh. **"Of course I can! Who's going to stop me? And it's all true!"** The Shadow stepped off of the bed and towards the cage. **"Why else would you want to make friends with a tomboy like Chie? She's a meat-eating savage, for one, and her obsession with martial arts and warrior movies is irritating beyond belief. However… With spunk like hers, I could get just about anywhere. Especially away from home sweet home."**

Yukiko stepped back and shook her head. "No! That's not how I see Chie!"

"**I would keep entertaining her, but she won't save me. How disappointingly drab. And do I even have to mention Mogura? We hardly know him, but he's just perfect to use for our escape."** She glared evilly at the blind American.

Yukiko shook her head. "Stop this!"

"**Why should I? You'd never admit it. The only reason we got a crush on Mogura was because he could get us out of Inaba!"**

Mogura was stunned, even stepping back. Yukiko hid her head in shame.

"What?" Chie blinked. "Did I just hear that right?"

"Please… No…"

"**That's right. Who better to get poor little us away from the Inn we're stuck at than to have a handsome, rich American boy do it? To Hell if he's blind… It's the perfect escape!"**

At this, Teddie stepped forward. "Hey! That's not nice! I don't care how pretty you are! You can't make fun of my new friends, especially Rogura!"

Mogura bit back a growl. "Teddie, shut the HELL up!" Oedipus' head shifted and morphed into the Cyclops' face, roared for a second, and then switched back. Teddie squeaked and hid behind Yui.

Yosuke put his hand on Mogura's shoulder. "Um, maybe you should sit this one out… I think I saw your Shadow there for a second…"

"**Oh, the truth hurts, doesn't it, YANKEE? Oh well. You can't save her anyway, so it really doesn't matter. We can say whatever we want."**

"NO!" Yukiko screamed, now trembling in anger. "You… You insult my home, my friends, and you even insult my… relationships or whatever they are. You… How can you say 'we' during all of this?" She howled.

"**Because I'm you, and you're me**!" The princess shrieked in return.** "Everything you see me doing… It's because of you! I'm the real you!" **She tipped over an endtable for effect.** "Don't you see? No matter whether you're in here or out there, you're stuck where you are! With all this 'historical inn' and 'manager training', I can't decide one way from the other what I want to do! From how I live to where I die, everything's decided for me!" **She sat back down on the bed violently.** "That's why I need a Prince! Any Prince at all! I don't care where we go!" **

The bed she had been resting on burst into flames, alarming the whole Investigation Team.  
><strong>"JUST GET ME OUT OFHERE! "<strong>

Yukiko shook the bars of her cage. "No! Shut up! You-"

"No! Don't say it!" Yui cried.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!" Amagi collapsed in tears.

Her Shadow began to twist and swell outwards, like the others had, until it curled up into a wisp of smoke and shot skyward. It flew out of sight.

Everyone stepped forward carefully. Nothing happened. It seemed as if the Shadow had just disappeared. The bed began to burn and drop off ashes. Chie sent Tomoe to take down Yukiko's cage when, suddenly, Yui felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. She held out her hand to change Personas.

"Chie! Watch out!" Izanagi-jo pushed Tomoe out of the way, just as a huge chandelier dropped onto the Fool. "Ara Mitama!" A small, red, teardrop-shaped figure took the blow before changing back to Izanagi. Yukiko's Shadow, a huge red bird, burst out of the birdcage's door and spread her wings. Fire flared around from under the cage, sending Izanagi-jo and Tomoe scrambling.

Yui herself collapsed onto Chie and Yosuke, reeling in pain from the impact.

"Jiraya! Media!" Yosuke called for his Persona, and Yui's expression visibly softened. The issue at hand dismissed, the team went on guard..

The bird beat its wings and shrieked, **"I AM A SHADOW, THE TRUE SELF! WHEN WILL MY REAL PRINCE COME? COME TO TAKE ME AWAY FROM THIS DREADFUL LIFE OF MINE?"**

"Oh, shut up!" Mogura cried, as Oedipus formed around him. Antigone went for a quick loop around the Shadow before hiding again.

-BURNING UP!-

"You want a Prince? You got one!" The Hermit Persona drew his sword and leveled it at Shadow Yukiko. "Prince of Thebes! Go get her!" With a flash, Oedipus hammered the side of the cage with a quick shove, sending its inhabitant reeling. Before he could lower his blade, however, a burst of fire leveled him. Sprawling backwards, he fell to the ground, clutching his burning robes. "On second thought, maybe that wasn't such a swell idea."

"Jiraya!" Yosuke called up a large tornado, extinguishing the fire and hurdling towards the cage. However, Shadow Yukiko closed the door of the cage, causing the wind to bounce off harmlessly.

"Aw, come on!" Throwing the shiriuken only caused them to rebound as well.

Tomoe flew toward the real Yukiko's cage and cut it lose from the ceiling. She was about to fly it out when she was caught from behind by another bolt of fire. Chie screamed as her Persona let go of Yukiko's cage. Thankfully, however, Izanagi-jo caught it before it hit the ground, sprinting toward the door.

"We've got Yukiko! Let's go!"

However, the doors closed and barred, leaving no exit. **"YOU'RE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT ME, MY DEARS!"** the Shadow clucked. **"I WON'T HAVE A COWARDLY PRINCE IN MY COURT! IN FACT…"** More Shadows swirled together to make a runty, comedic figure of a Victorian gentleman. _**"**_**IF YOU WON'T BE MY PRINCE, I'LL MAKE MY OWN!"**

The Dashing Prince drew his sword and charged toward Izanagi-jo. Tomoe intercepted him half-way and sliced his chest open.

"**THAT'S SOME STRENGTH YOU HAVE. MAYBE YOU'RE NOT SUCH A BAD PRINCE AFTER ALL!"** The Shadow giggled. It was occupied with Mogura and Yosuke, who were unsuccessfully bashing the cage around like it was a tetherball and dodging the fire blasts the Shadow retaliated with.

In response, Chie threw a block of ice at the cage. It exploded in a burst of frost. When Jiraya punched a frozen spot, it put a crack in the cage. Yui looked at the cage, the frost, and then the cage's chain.

"Chie! Freeze the chain on the Shadow's cage!"

"Um, okay?" Tomoe cast an ice spell, locking the chain in place. The two males smacked the cage again, this time splitting it clear off of its chain. Oedipus took this chance to grab hold of the cage and throw it at the ground. Shadow Yukiko struggled to get up, when she was suddenly pinned to the ground by Izanagi-jo. The staff took advantage of the hole in the cage Jiraya had made and passed through one of the Shadow's wings as well, keeping the bird inside the cage and on the ground.

"**LET GO! YOU'RE NOT PRINCES! YOU'RE FILTHY COMMONERS!"** The Shadow struggled, beating its wings furiously.

Yui looked stern. "Maybe so. But you can't just blame everyone else for not doing something you won't. If you want to leave, do it yourself. Don't expect someone else to 'rescue' you from a perfectly good home." Suddenly, the Shadow became aware of a crackling sound.

"Izanagi-jo! Zio!"

The Dashing Prince struggled up, still steaming. It took a swing at Oedipus, who easily dodged it and put his sword through the Prince's head instead. "Please."

"NOOOOOO!" With a huge electrical explosion, Yukiko's Shadow dissolved back into a pink princess. The cage collapsed. Tomoe picked up the Shadow and put it down next to the real Yukiko before breaking the latter's cage door. Inside, Yukiko was on the ground, shamefully hiding.

"Yukiko… It's over. You're safe."

"But…" Yukiko shuddered. "I…I'm…" She stood up and walked over to her Shadow, kneeling down and looking at the Princess, before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I've been… selfish. I hate to admit it, but… I really don't like working at the Inn." She frowned. "It's just so restrictive. I want to do things on my own, and forget the Inn, but I can't because I've never had the courage to. I just don't want to hurt my parents, and I'm not sure what I would do afterwards. That's why I wanted a Prince. To make my problems disappear. I deluded myself into believing that if I found just the right person, everything would work out perfectly. But instead, I've dragged all of you into my own personal drama. I'm sorry."

She took her Shadow's hand. "I am you. And you are me…"

The Shadow nodded silently, and dissolved into peach blossoms. The figure of a young lady in white and red with a string of pink feathers connecting one hand to another behind her back formed above her, bowing deeply before its new owner.

_For showing strength of heart and making a path to overcome your weakness, I have been made manifest from the sea of your soul…_

_I am Konohana Sakuya, the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

_I art thou… and thou art I…_

The persona shifted into her new card, drifting down. Yukiko embraced the card and received her new power before collapsing. Teddie was the first to waddle up to her.

"So, um, Yuki-chan…" He perked up. "Am I still a knight now?"

"WHAT?" the rest of the team was stunned at this question.

Chie looked ready like she was going to rip the stuffing out of the bear. "Is that all you think about? We just saved Yukiko and you- Rrgh!" She grabbed his ears and pulled on his head. Surprisingly, the top part came straight off, even without unzipping the zipper.

-!-

"Oh, shit! What did you do, Chie? Did-did you just take his head off?" Yosuke sputtered.

"You killed TEDDIE?" Mogura cried. "How did you even manage that?"

Chie dropped the head in fear. However, the eyes kept blinking, and the mouth turned into a frown. "Eeh? What's going on!" Teddie's body stepped forward and plopped the head back on top of his body. "What's everybody scared about?" There was a collective silence to just comprehend what had happened.

"Teddie… You just lost your head!" Yui cried. "How do you-"

But she was interrupted by Yukiko, who had begun to laugh loudly at the whole scene before her. "Hee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I-I'm sorry… I just can't help it… Teddie… Lost his head… ha ha ha ha ha…"

-?-

"Am I the only confused person here?" Mogura asked.

Chie coughed. "Yukiko laughs at the strangest of jokes, even when it doesn't seem funny to anybody else. It's just something she does."

Yui sighed. "This world is getting to us. We need to go home."

Teddie pulled on Yukiko's arm. "Here, Yuki-chan! I made you some glasses."

He handed her a pair of gag glasses, with a strange nose and spiral-covered lenses. She put them on and started laughing again. "Here-*ha ha*- Mogura-san. Come here- *ha ha*- for a second." The American stepped toward Yukiko carefully. She put the glasses on his face, and then started laughing hysterically. Soon, even Mogura was laughing. He did look ridiculous, and a laugh was welcome after so much pain.

-…-

Yui sat in the bleachers as the basketball game went underway. Yosuke had scored a basket or two, which excited her, but she couldn't help but notice that Mogura was almost always on the bench. He really didn't play well in-game, mostly acting as a pick or covering the last open player. However, she was glad to see Chie and Ai talking civilly, if not happily, together. She walked over during a time-out to see how things were going.

"What are you guys doing?" She sat down beside Chie.

"Filming." Ai said, readjusting the camera from where it was facing.

Chie smiled. "They're doing really well, right? Even Yosuke can score points. He's not entirely useless after all." She smirked and looked back at the game, which had restarted.

Yui nodded. "It's amazing what a few days' worth of workouts can do for you." Ai readjusted the camera and went back to filming. It didn't take a lot of effort to see that she was following Kou and not the ball.

Yui frowned. Would Ai really be able to let go of her affections for Kou? Or would she patient enough to let him develop some for her? She shook her head and turned back to the game. Yosuke was shooting again. It rimmed out, but Mogura got his hands on the ball. He held his arms up and threw it near Kou, who snatched it as it was about to fall out of bounds, dribbled, and made a three-pointer. The crowd went wild, including Ai and Chie. Yui smiled and clapped. It was good to be a teen-ager, even if things did get complicated sometimes.

-…-

Later, the whole basketball team met up at Aiya's Chinese Diner. The guys chatted amongst themselves about the game. They had lost, but it had been well-fought on both sides. Kou was congratulating everybody for a job well done. However, Mogura looked distracted, leaning off to the side and not listening to Kou. After a toast, Yui sat across from him and beside Yosuke.

"What's wrong?" Yui asked. "You seem off."

The American sighed and sipped his drink. "It's just been… You know… Everything that's happened recently…" He looked down. "It's just been a bit much."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Mogura jerked up and shook his head. "No, not really! I… Ah…" He smiled. "No. But thanks for asking. I guess I just need a little time alone..."

His expression turned distant again, and Yui could feel the confusion running around inside Mogura's heart.

"Hey! Enough depressing stuff already." Yosuke poked Mogura's shoulder. "Celebrate, dammit! You're so angsty you're making Yui sad too!"

The Hermit blinked angrily. "What? Angsty…" He sighed again. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, man! That just makes things worse."

"S-sorry?" he stuttered.

This time Yosuke sighed. "Man. We have really got to get that American out of you."

-#!-

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Yui slipped away as the two boys quickly got into a heated argument. Kou, who was chatting it up with Chie (perhaps a bit too excitedly), gave her a thumbs-up. Ai was sitting nearby, looking a bit glum. Yui plopped her drink next to the light-haired girl and tapped her on the shoulder. "Um, so… What are you gonna do? Have you decided?"

Ai looked over towards the rest of the team. "I think I'm going to wait." She sat back. "Sometimes the best thing to do sometimes is nothing, don't you think?"

Yui thought for a second. "I think you need to do a little more than 'nothing'. What is it you really want?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you really want Kou's affection specifically, or do you just want a boyfriend, or do you just want someone to talk to?"

Ai looked at Kou and Chie talking. "They look really happy. I don't want to hurt that. But I…" She tapped her foot on the floor. "Dammit, this is too confusing!" she whispered.

Yui giggled. "I'm sorry. That's not really funny. But I know that you can get someone to like you if you really be yourself."

Ai snorted. "That's a laugh. Every boy who isn't a total goofball thinks I'm a bitch."

"Are you?"

"No!" Ai snapped. "What kind of a question is that?"

"Well, if you're not, then you have nothing to worry about." Yui drank the rest of her soda and tossed the can into the trash. "Just really be yourself, and you'll be fine. And, just so you know, I don't think you're one either. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go stop another Pacific War from starting."

She stepped over to Mogura and Yosuke, who were literally at each other's collars by this point.

"Alright. Let me put it this way. I will not beat the shit out of you if you take back what you said about my grandfather."

"Yeah? You and what army?" Yosuke growled.

A vampire smile from the American made Hanamura flinch. "A three-man one: me, myself, and I. My father put me and my siblings through Marine-level training."

"Apparently, Marines can't play basketball."

"Alright, that tears it." Mogura pulled back a fist. "And by it, I mean your spinal cord."

"Hey, take it outside." Yui slammed her palm on the table. "Do you guys ever want to eat here again?"

Both boys put their hands at their sides crossly, and there was finally a silence.

"He started it." Yosuke mumbled.

"Oh, shut up." Chie rolled her eyes.

**-Persona4-**

**NEXT SCENT: GET BENT**

"_Who is he meeting with?"_

"_I'll have my revenge!"_

"_Run for it!"_

"_**I'll beat you, and beat you good!"**_

**-Persona4-**


	12. Chapter 11: Get Bent

Author's Note:

I have a new Persona RP site set up, with the game mechanics in the process of being fine-tuned. It's not going to be my main energy output, but I'd like you guys to check it out. I kind of need betatesters. So... Yeah. Anyone interested? PM me for info.

For Persona 4 Femfiction Golden: Cleaned-up chapters, male POV, extra scenes (including romantic paths), dungeon conversations, and probably a preview for Incarno.

Ain't I just a freaking entertainment powerhouse. Thanks for the love.

/Author's Note:

-...-

"Hey, did you hear about the new first-year student?"

"Sure did. But is it legit? You know…Like how he beat up an entire biker gang?"

"_Hey, asshole! That's my bike!" The leader of some delinquents stepped toward a towering figure in the lights of several motorcycles._

_A blonde-haired giant wearing a shirt with a skull on it put his huge shoe up on the custom leather seat._

"_Yeah, but this ain't your damn parking lot!" He growled. "You're pissing me off just being here!"_

"_Like hell!" The punk charged and took a swing._

"Supposedly it's true. It was like, 100-1 and he beat them nearly to death!"

"_Bastard!" A pipe-carrying muscleman charged, but was sent sprawling to the ground. Another beefy guy grabbed the new challenger's arms while his friend swung a bat at the teen. The skull-wearing delinquent broke free, grabbed the bat, kicked the guy in front of him to the ground and hammered the boy behind him with the bat. Both crumpled._

"He took over the biker gang and became their boss. Apparently, the news is even sending a crew out there to interview him."

"You serious?"

_As the last few gang members charged, the scowling teenager in the middle downed them all with a lead pipe._

"_Take that!"_

"So what's street trash like him doing in our school?" Two teenage boys were talking in the Yasogami school halls.

"I dunno, but I wish he'd high-tail it out of here."

They laughed until they saw the boy in question walking towards them, his hands in his pockets. They sulked off, and his gaze followed them before he growled and turned around. He was about to leave when someone tapped on his shoulder.

"Is this yours?"

He whipped around, and there stood Yui, holding a fluffy pink bunny keychain. Flashing red, he snatched it out of her hands. "G-gimme that!" He put it in his pocket before looking around and whispering, "T-thanks." Blushing brightly again, he turned around.

"No problem." Narukami smiled and walked away.

After Yui was gone, the boy checked for witnesses before pulling it back out to study it. Flipping it over, he brushed some dust off of its coat.

-…-

-Persona4-

CHAPTER 11: GET BENT

_Courage- Daring_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Persuasive_

_Understanding- Generous_

_Diligence- Strong_

-Persona 4-

-…-

**May 2, 2011**

**Dojima Household**

**Night**

Nanako cheerfully snapped up her dinner. "Big Sis, isn't this fried chicken great?"

"Yeah, it is." Yui looked at the TV, where they were speaking about the Mayumi Yamano case.

"…_Sources confirm the singer was indeed on tour when the murder happened. Taro Namatame, who is the man with whom she had the affair with, also has a perfect alibi. In fact, a young man named Mitsuo Kubo has confessed to be the killer…"_

The phone rung, and Nanako perked up. "Maybe it's Dad!"

Yui watched the girl pop up to answer, but quickly turned her attention back to the TV.

"_Although he is clearly insane, Mitsuo has not been confirmed as the killer by the police due to lack of evidence confirming his actual ability to have committed the crimes."_

"Hello?" Nanako chirped. "Uh-huh? Oh…" Her face fell. "Okay. I see." She turned to Yui. ""Daddy wants to talk to you."

Yui took the phone grimly. "Hello?"

Dojima sighed and flipped some paperwork. "Yui, I'm really sorry, but one of our rookies just got sick and this case isn't gonna let up anytime soon… Feel free to lock the doors and bunker down for tonight. And… About the fourth and fifth… I won't be able to take those days off."

Yui stood up and turned away from Nanako. "But you promised Nanako! You guys were going to go to the beach, right? Isn't there someone else who could cover you?" she whispered.

"I'll check again, but they said no go the last two times… I- I need you to take care of Nanako during Golden Week." He ground his teeth. "Please. "

Yui looked down. "Alright."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye."

She hung up and bit her lip. "Nanako…"

"Is that you on TV?"

Yui turned around. Sure enough, pictures of her, Yosuke, Chie, and Mogura were sprawled on the screen. They shrunk to allow a profile of Yukiko to appear as well.

"_Four teenage residents of Inaba have taken part in the effort of catching Kubo and recovering Yukiko Amagi from possible death. These have been identified as Yosuke Hanamura, son of the new manager of Junes, Yui Narukami, niece of Ryotaro Dojima, Chie Satonaka, long-time friend of Yukiko, and Mogura Inja, resident of the Amagi Inn and past victim. Speculation says that the teenagers used information they gained from Mogura's experience to prevent the killer's attempt."_

Yui dashed forward and turned the TV off.

"Big Sis… What's going on?" Nanako looked up.

"Mitsuo ran away from Adachi, that guy Dad sometimes brings over, and the police couldn't find him. We found him in Junes, where we later found Yukiko, too. Is that good enough?"

"Oh… Okay…" She turned around. "I'm going to bed."

"Alright."

Yui watched the little girl go before collapsing in front of the TV in defeat. At least they would have Golden Week.

-…-

Margaret looked up. "Oh, I see you've returned. You've founded the Moon and Strength Social Links, as well as one more… The Hermit." She looked up. "This may sound strange, but the Hermit seems to have a special connection to you. Not romantic, mind you… Yet…" She smirked, watching the cards drift down into an open Compendium. Moving images of Ai and Kou appeared on the open pages.

Yui was not amused. "Mm-hmm."

Margaret turned back a few pages to display an image of Mogura and the Hermit card. "In fact, the Fool and the Hermit have a lot in common. They both look for their true meanings… The Fool looks to others, while the Hermit looks to himself."

"That seems a bit conceited, doesn't it? Only looking for your own opinion on things, I mean?" The grey-eyed girl looked out the window. There was nothing but fog in all directions.

"Normally, yes. But this Hermit has been pondering his whole life. He can run mental simulations of how different people would react to things. He has trained himself to be near-infallible in judgment. As it is his main resource, he needs to be able to trust it." Margaret closed the book. "And in situations where you have only yourself to look to, it helps to be able to choose wisely on your own. It may help you to know that Mogura has had to make tough choices on his own, without anyone to turn to."

"Oh, alright." Yui turned back to the other girl. "Say, where's Igor?" The main seat was unoccupied.

Margaret chuckled. "I wondered when you would notice. The master is out today… Or do you prefer it when he's not here?"

-…-

The doorbell rang. Yui was surprised to see Chie cheerfully standing outside the door.

"Hiya! I was wondering whether or not you wanted to hang out. Yukiko's coming, and I can call Yosuke if I have to."

"What about Mogura?"

Chie smirked. "Oh, Yukiko's dragging him out here for sure. Anyways, you wanna come?"

Yui looked behind her, where Nanako sat dully watching TV. "No thanks. I told my uncle I would take care of Nanako."

Chie looked past Yui. "You're Nanako-chan, right?"

The little girl looked up. "Yes?"

"I'm Chie Satonaka, one of Yui's friends. We were going to hang out, so… would you like to come with us?"

Nanko jumped up. "Really? " She stopped and looked down. "I-I mean, if Big Sis says so…"

"Sure!" Yui smiled. "Get your stuff and we'll go."

"Yay!" Nanako dashed toward her room.

Satonaka and Yui watched her go. "Thanks." Narukami said.

"Oh, it's no problem." The sporty girl shifted her weight back sheepishly. "She's a sweet girl, isn't she?"

Yui giggled. "Yeah, she is."

"So how's your uncle doing?"

"Oh… Um, Dojima is stuck at work… Par usual." She frowned. "I think he's worried about Nanako… They had something planned, but it got canceled."

"That's not good… But we're gonna make up for it today."

Nanako ran up to the door. "I'm ready, Big Sis!"

"Alright then." Yui turned to Chie. "Where are we going to again?"

Chie laughed. "Maybe Yosuke could tell you."

-…-

"Did I mention I hate paying for your crap?" Yosuke groaned as he slammed the carrying platter on the table. "I'll pay for Nanako-chan's stuff, but everybody else is paying for their own food. Especially you, Chie."

"I'll pay for Nanako-chan's food." Yui smiled. "You treated me last time, remember?"

"Don't remind me. Always cheaping out, except for whoever's new in the group." Chie muttered.

Mogura put up his hand. "Sorry to interrupt, but since when do you command how Yosuke spends his own money? And as I recall, I've had to pay for everything I get. I mean, I gave you guys the money for the iron staff. Just saying." He stood a bit off from the table, sipping from a soda and tapping his guidance staff on the ground.

"Yeah! If I want to treat someone to food, I can do it myself. Geez." Chie looked like she was going to explode.

"Ah, Mogura? Could you sit down? It's kind of distracting." Yukiko asked. "Please…"

"Oh, um, okay. Ah, where's an open chair?" He stumbled over next to Yosuke and sat down tentatively.

Everyone looked at him, and an awkward silence fell over the table.

"What?" Mogura growled. "I don't go out much."

"Um… You're Mogura-san?" The blind man turned toward the whisper. Nanako looked up at him timidly, holding up her drink as a kind of shield.

"Yes, I am. And you are?"

"...Nanako…" She squeaked. "…You're really scary in person."

Yui nearly dropped her soda. "Nanako-chan!"

Mogura waved it off. "I guess I just look kinda creepy, don't I?" He sighed. "I need to work on that."

"Nanako-chan… Mogura may look kind of scary, but he's actually really nice. Isn't that right?" Yukiko looked toward Chie for help.

"Um, yeah! He is." Chie shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't really trust Mogura at first, but I guess he's a nice guy."

"You guess. Thanks." Inja slumped angrily.

Yosuke poked Mogura in the ribs. "Don't worry, Mogura. Chie never trusts guys straight-up. She nearly took my head off when I first talked to Yukiko."

-!-

"What?"

"Now she's even trying to extort me for money…"

"Am not!"

"Oh, yeah. Meat. Sorry." He dodged a punch.

Nanako giggled. "Big Sis, do they always act like this?"

Yui laughed too. "All the time."

Yosuke sighed. "Still, it kinda sucks to be stuck at someplace as lame as Junes for Golden Week. I feel sorry for Nanako-chan."

Suddenly, the Junes theme played.

_Every day's great at your Junes!_

Nanako perked up and sang along. "Every day's great at your Junes! I love Junes!"

One could almost see stars flowing from Yosuke's eyes. "Nanako!" He quickly caught himself. "I mean, that's great!" Tossing his apron aside, he slumped and sighed tiredly.

"So what's going on? Are you done for the day?" Yui asked.

"Nope. I'm just on break."

"But we were supposed to go on a real trip." Nanako grumbled. "We were going to make boxed lunches and everything."

"Wow! You can make boxed lunches, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko looked genuinely impressed.

"No… But Big Sis can!"

All eyes turned toward Yui."Um… Yeah… I guess I can make some stuff…" She blushed.

Chie smiled. "You're the family cook? Pretty nice, 'Big Sis'."

"Woah, you can cook? Well, you do seem to be great with your hands- Um, never mind." Yosuke stuttered.

Yui frowned. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Well, I'm a pretty good cook too, you know…" added Chie.

Mogura shook his head. "No, you're not…"

"Probably!"

"Probably not. I can tell you're lying by hearing you talk." The blind man tapped his left ear. "And you lie pretty badly."

The sporty girl began to fume. "Says you! I-I can whip up boxed lunches easy as pie! Yeah…"

Yosuke tapped his chin. "Hmm. Let me think—Nope."

"Screw you! If you think I can't cook, then… Then why don't we have a cooking contest and I'll show you how good I am! Then you'll see!" She crossed her arms triumphantly.

"Challenge accepted." Mogura said.

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah. I don't cook, but… Somehow I feel like I'd win anyway…"

"Hehehe… I can understand that…" Yukiko chuckled.

"What?" Chie stood up violently. "Whose side are you on?"

Yui crossed her arms. "I'll join too."

Chie froze up like a statue.

"Yeah." Mogura said. "Yosuke and I can be one team, Chie and Yukiko can be another team, and Nanako can help Yui cook That gives every team about an equal chance of winning. I'm blind, Nanako has no cooking experience, Chie can't cook for shi-"

"I'm right here, you jerk!"

"…And?"

Throughout all of this, Nanako was bobbing up and down excitedly.

"Maybe we can make something on-par with your mom's cooking, Nanako!" Yosuke said.

Everything came to a screeching halt as Nanako turned her face down sadly.

"Um… Did I say something wrong?" Yosuek stuttered.

"I don't have a mom." Nanako put down her drink. "She died in a car accident."

"Oh… I'm sorry." Yosuke frantically thought of a solution.

"But it's okay…" Nanako said. "I still have Daddy… and a big sister." She blushed and looked at Yui. "I'm at Junes, and I'm having a great time!"

The teenagers were stunned at Nanako's selfless optimism.

Chie cried, "We'll play with you whenever you like, Nanako-chan!"

"We will?" Mogura asked. "Sorry, but I'm not used to keeping track of kids."

"You will be soon enough." Chie said.

"Besides, it'll be good practice for you." Yukiko added.

"Good practice? What for?" Mogura sounded confused.

"For… Um, Yui! Didn't you say there was a daycare that needed caretakers?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I signed up because I needed a job. It's just a little time after school, not much."

Mogura drummed his fingers on the table. "I'll think about it. But for right now…" He turned toward Nanako. "Nanako-chan, would you like something to eat?"

"A little." She turned to Yui. "Big Sis, do you wanna share some takoyaki?"

Yui smiled and nodded. The whole group drifted towards the food stands, and Yosuke hurriedly put his apron on.

-…-

May 5th, 2012

Mitsuo was once again sitting in the interrogation room. This time there was no television in the corner. Unfortunately, the man interviewing him was not happy at all.

"All right, you. We know you did it. So why?" Dojima slammed his left fist on the table. "Why the hell would you murder someone you didn't know at all?"

Mitsuo's normally cocky attitude melted. "Uh… Ah… Eh…"

"I want answers, dammit. I had to break a promise to my six-year-old daughter over your sorry ass! So spit it out. Why. Did. You. Do it?" He stood up and roared, "ANSWER ME!"

The teenager held up his hands protectively. "Okay!" He whimpered. "I-I did it for attention! Coming in and confessing! I-I thought I would get noticed that way!" He broke down and began sobbing. "I didn't throw anyone into TVs! Honest! Please just let me go!"

Dojima sat down. "What? Throw people into-what did you just say?"

"When Adachi sat me down, he asked me if I was the one throwing people into TVs. I said that I was, and he started to get really scared. He told me he wasn't going to let me get to the TV in the corner and escape into the TV World. I said, "Like hell you will," and pushed over the table, jumping into the TV! Then I fell into the TV World and got knocked out! Then I started feeling really weird… and-"

"Wait! Stop!" Dojima held his hand up. "You say Adachi told you this?"

Kubo nodded.

"What did he say, exactly?"

"He said, 'So you're the kid that's been pushing people into televisions and killing them?' I played along and said that I was."

Dojima thought for a second. "Stay here, and don't move a muscle. Understand?"

"Yes." Mitsuo whimpered and clutched his head, beginning to sob and apologize continuously. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Ryotaro stepped outside, locked the door, and looked around. Seeing Adachi talk to one of the Tatsumi Port Island police officers, he walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Adachi."

"Hold on- yeah, Dojima-san?"

"Mitsuo said he was faking it… that he was playing along with you… that he never threw anyone into the TV World."

Adachi was confused. "What do you mean? Of course he did… He's the murderer."

A pause, and then:

Tohru's eyes bulged. "Oh, shit." He quickly pulled out his pistol, but the officer he had been talking to hit him on the hand, making him shoot Dojima's left leg instead of chest. Then the recruit hammered Adachi in the jaw and knocked him out cold.

Dojima gritted his teeth and picked up the pistol, wincing. "Call an ambulance, dammit!"

Three other officers rushed over. Two helped Dojima, while the last one handcuffed Adachi.

"Hello? This is Sanada." The junior officer looked at the situation. "One of our officers- Dojima-san- has been shot in the leg. We need emergency medical assistance now! Yeah… The Inaba police station… Rodger that." He ended the call. "Geez. First transfer and a guy gets shot… maybe Iori was right for once."

-…-

Yui was sitting at dinner when the phone rang. Nanako stood up, but Yui said, "I'll get it." She walked over and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"This is the Dojima residence, correct?" a man's voice said on the other end.

"Yes. Yui Narukami, Dojima's niece speaking."

"I'm afraid to say that Dojima has been shot in the leg. We have the criminal in custody, the ambulance arrived a minute ago…"

Yui froze up.

"…He's on his way to medical treatment, and he's stable now. But he wants to talk to Nanako, and he's in a lot of pain. Please come to the hospital as quickly as you can."

"What? Where?"

"Big Sis? What's going on?"

Yui wrote the address down and put down the phone. "Nanko-chan, I need you to stay calm and listen to me. Your Daddy's been hurt, but he got the bad guy. He's not going to be hurt anymore, he's going to be okay, and he wants to talk to you. Okay?"

"What? Daddy…?" Nanako started crying. "Not Daddy too! Please!"

"Nanako, your dad's okay!"

"I don't want Daddy to die!"

"He's not going to die, okay?" Yui hugged her crying cousin. "We need to get to the hospital and see him."

"Promise?" Nanako sobbed, looking up at Yui.

"I promise." She led Nanako by the hand out the door and locked it before heading into the night.

-…-

They ran up to the hospital doors and into the lobby. A dark-haired nurse saw them and guided them toward Ryotaro. "You must be for Dojima. This way."

As they walked along, Nanako could hardly keep from crying. "My Daddy's going to be alright, right, Ms. Nurse?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes. The doctors have managed to take the bullet out of his leg. Thankfully, it didn't hit anything like bones or arteries, so he should be fine. In fact, it didn't hit much... It mostly grazed the side of his leg."

That seemed to calm Nanako down some.

When they came to his room, Nanako rushed towards the door, but the nurse grabbed her shoulder. "Wait. They may not have finished putting on the bandages yet. Stay here while I check."

After a bit, the nurse came back out. "He's ready to see you."

Nanako jumped up and ran into the room. Yui followed a little less quickly.

"Daddy!" Nanako cried.

Dojima looked up and sighed in relief. "Nanako!"

"Daddy! I-I thought you were really hurt! I thought…" She started crying again.

"It's alright. I'm okay now… Though I won't be able to walk for a while." He laughed. "At least now I'll be able to stay at home. The police captain said that I have time off until my leg recovers regularly. Even better, this stupid case is just about closed."

"Does that mean you're gonna have more time to play with me?" Nanako asked tentatively.

"I sure hope so." He frowned and looked around. "Oh, I got you guys some stuff for Children's Day. Not that you're a child, Yui, but, you know…I was trying to be fair." There was a plastic bag in the corner. Nanako ran over to it and brought it over. "It's a duck shirt!" She squealed. "It's so silly-looking!" Yui picked up the bag and pulled out a cheap but durable wristwatch.

Dojima shrugged. "I was gonna get you a swimsuit for summer and all, but that just didn't seem appropriate."

"Thanks anyway." She hugged Dojima. "I'm just glad you're okay."

-…-

"So how's Dojima coming along?" Chie asked. The Investigation Team had joined together for a study session. Yosuke had suggested it, but he was fast asleep.

"He's doing well. The doctors say he got lucky… He was hit in the outer thigh, so it cut through mostly muscle. They say he should be able to walk around a little bit in about a month."

Mogura sat back lazily and drummed his fingers on the table. "That's great. Now, not to be a spoilsport, but I have different stuff to study than you, so could I please get to it? Like, alone?"

"Hey, c'mon. this is a group study period!" Chie said. "Even though Yosuke looks dead."

"Huh? What was that?" Hanamura jerked up. "Wanna discuss that?"

"He looks fine to me…" Yui grinned.

"I do, don't I? I've put a lot of thought into this."

Yui rolled her eyes. "What? Actually studying instead of flunking all your classes?"

"Shh. I mean the case."

"Yosuke, isn't the case closed? I mean, both Adachi and Mitsuo are behind bars… Who else could be doing this?" Yukiko shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, at least I wanna know why the people were selected. After all, if there is another guy… Well, let's be prepared just in case." He pulled out a notebook. "Now, the first two victims were Miss Yamano and Saki Konishi. Then Mogura got kidnapped, then Yukiko."

"Wait a minute… Are we going off the theory that Adachi kidnapped Yukiko and I?" Mogura waved his hands. "Didn't the news report that Adachi was knocked out by the kidnapper?"

"Yeah…" Yukiko muttered.

"Then that means…" Yui realized something.

"You're interrupting my very logical deduction."

"Boo hoo." said Chie.

"…That means that Adachi couldn't have kidnapped Yukiko!" Yui whispered.

"Right." Mogura tapped on the table. "If he knocked Yukiko out and then himself, he would have had to remove the hanker-chief from the situation. Which is not easy when the effects are instantaneous. The police would find it on his person for sure. But they didn't. If he had thrown it into the TV, then he wouldn't have gotten very far before collapsing. But they found him across the room, sleeping like a stone. The only way he could simultaneously knock him-self out and kidnap Yukiko at the same time…"

"Is if he had an accomplice!" Yosuke cried.

Mogura popped him in the chest with a punch that was aimed for the jaw. "Thanks for stealing my thunder, Ace Detective. But yes. Sadly, this case is not closed. Mitsuo would be too damn self-obsessed to do it, for one. Besides, he was as surprised as we were to find him in the TV World."

Yukiko bristled with anxiety. "But… You mean the guy's still out there?"

Yui sighed. "we need to continue watching the Midnight Channel."

"Wait! I think I know something about the next victim!" Yosuke cried. "You see, everyone that has been killed or kidnapped so far has gotten tons of news coverage before they got kidnapped or killed. So… Maybe the next person the news are fixated on is the next victim?"

"Hey! His brain does work!" Chie poked Hanamura in the head.

"Shut up! You haven't contributed anything!"

"Hey! I came here to study! And I haven't gotten a solid minute of it…" she groaned.

"Ah! Speaking of which… Um… Mogura?" Yukiko asked. "Could you help us with English… because… umm… you know…" She began to panic.

"In case you're wondering, no, I am not offended. I've had to get help from many an English-speaking Japanese student in my time."

"Oh, right!" She blushed.

"Yui… Um… You're great with schoolwork and stuff… Could you help me?" Chie asked.

"Hey… I'm not too shabby either." Yosuke volunteered.

"Yosuke, I will ask for your help when the subject matter becomes 'Annoying People: Level One.'"

-…-

Monday-Thursday, May 9th-12

Then came exam week. For every day, Yui drilled out question after question. Chie, on the other hand, was in throes of pain, struggling to remember everything she had been studying. Yosuke fell asleep on Wednesday, and on Thursday, he flat-out didn't show up. Yukiko calmly answered questions, though not as quickly as Yui, and somewhere, a pained Mogura sat in front of a computer screen wearing headphones.

When the final bell rang, Yosuke walked in. "Ah, freedom at last."

"Where were you?" Yui asked.

"Lazing around. I was sure I would get the same grade whether I came in or not."

"I wish I was so carefree." Chie groaned.

Yukiko turned to her friends. "How did you do, Yui-san?"

"Pretty well."

-…-

"That's certainly vague!" Dojima laughed. He had his broken leg up on a pillow when they were eating dinner.

"Tonight: An interview with the new leader of Inaba's biker gangs goes horribly wrong."

Onscreen, it showed an interviewer getting shoved around by the blonde-haired boy Yui had seen earlier.

"Get bent! This ain't a freak show, dammit!" The boy picked the interviewer up by the scruff of his neck and tossed him backwards.

"Who's that?" Nanako asked.

"Ah… That's Kanji Tatsumi, a troubled teen who likes to start fights." Dojima sighed. "I know him through work. He's still pulling crap like this?" Yui looked at the television screen warily, then finished her dinner and went to her room.

-…-

Sunday, May 15th

She looked out the window. Sure enough, it was raining. Sweeping the curtains shut, Yui turned to the TV. The clock clicked down to midnight, and her television blurred on. She could make out a human figure… Her eyes widened as she realized it looked vaguely like Tatsumi.

-…-

"We hereby begin a meeting of the Special Investigation Unit for the Serial Murders and Kidnappings in Inaba." Yosuke declared proudly.

"Well, ain't that a mouthful…" Mogura laughed.

Yukiko looked around Junes. "So this is our secret headquarters?"

"Right! You're on the ball, Amagi!" Yosuke grinned.

Chie drummed her fingers on the table. "Not very 'secret,' if you ask me…"

"Moving along… About the figure on the Midnight Channel…" Yui cleared her throat. "I think it was Kanji Tatsumi."

Hanamura nodded. "Oh, definitely. I saw him wearing a jacket and everything."

"Kanji Tasumi?" Yukiko asked. "He wasn't like this when he was younger…"

"Yukiko, you know that creep?" Chie was stunned.

She nodded. "Yes, but I haven't talked to him for years." She looked down. "His family has a textile shop, and the Inn has been buying their wares for years."

"That simplifies things! Let's go check out the textile shop." Yosuke stood up.

Yukiko nodded. "Yeah… If people on the Midnight Channel are thrown into the TV…"

"…Then Kanji is next."

-…-

When they entered the textile shop, they found that Mrs. Tatsumi was talking to a short, formal youth in blue detective clothing. Even the boy's eyes and messy, short hair were blue, something Yui found odd.

"Ah, Yuki! Come in!"

The boy quickly studied the group and turned back to his conversation. "I think I will be taking my leave."

"I'm sorry I couldn't have been of more help." Mrs. Tatsumi apologized.

"Not at all. You gave me a lot to think about." As the boy walked out, he crossed gazes with Yui, giving her a cold look.

Yosuke raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

Mogura closed his eyes and concentrated. "…"

"Yuki! You're as beautiful as ever!'

"Oh, thank you. You're too kind." Yukiko smiled. "Uh, is Kanji home?"

"I'm afraid he hasn't come back yet."

While they continued to talk, Yui spotted something on one of the racks. It was a red scarf with snowflake-like white imprints. She walked over to it. "Hey, I think I've seen this before."

"Yeah, I think I have, too." Chie tapped her chin. "Wasn't it in that one creepy room? You know, tied up into a, you know…"

Mrs. Tatsumi looked surprised. "You were friends with Mrs. Yamano?"

"I wouldn't say friends, exactly." Yosuke scratched the back of his head.

"Mrs. Yamano had that scarf custom-ordered. It's too bad…"

A deliveryman knocked on the back door. "Delivery!"

"Okay! I'll be right there!" Mrs. Tatsumi stood up. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave for now."

"It's okay. We were just leaving anyway." Yukiko nodded.

Mogura broke his concentration. "We are?" He was dragged out by Yui.

As they came out into the street, Yosuke signaled for them to halt. "Shit! It's Kanji! Hide!"

Everyone, including Mogura, hid behind a mailbox.

"What are we doing?" He whispered.

"Who is he meeting with?" Chie asked.

Yosuke hushed them. "It's that guy we saw earlier! Be quiet!"

"So, Mr. Tatsumi… I would like to be able to talk with you later." The boy with the blue hat tipped it upward, making eye contact with his taller associate.

Kanji glanced to the side. "Uh, I guess that would be okay…"

"Would Tuesday after classes be a good time?"

'Yeah, sure, whatever."

The boy in blue nodded. "Thank you. You are a very intriguing person, Mr. Tatsumi…"

"Intriguing?" Kanji blushed.

"I will see you again." Turning around, the young man walked away.

"Oh, okay…" He waited until the boy had left. "Intriguing? But I'm a guy… and he's a guy…" Something caught his attention.

"Hey! Whaddaya doing?" Kanji screamed at the group. Everyone got up and ran, last but not leas Mogura, who had to quickly search for his staff.

He waved his fists at them. "Beat it, punks!" He glared after them. "Tch… What's their problem?"

-…-

After a bit, they stopped running. After catching her breath, Yui said, "I couldn't hear a word of what they said."

"I could…" Mogura panted. "There was something about Tuesday. Meeting on Tuesday… Geez, this uniform is hot."

Yosuke straightened up. "Right. So they're gonna meet on Tuesday. I say we stake out the textile shop and keep track of when he talks to that guy."

"Yeah. If the criminal is really after Kanji, he'll either approach him directly or at home." Yui said.

"So it's settled. That said, could I get your number, Amagi?"

"So that's what you were after!"

"No!" Yosuke snapped. "But I'm gonna need it for the case."

"That reminds me… Could you stop calling me in the middle of the night to tell me dirty jokes? You are such a perv."

"Shut up! So Yukiko, could you give me your phone number?"

Mogura waved his hands. "Wait, Chie… Pass that one by me again…"

"What? 'Yosuke's a pervert?'"

"No, no. The one before that."

"I just remembered… I have to pick up some tofu…" Yukiko muttered.

-…-

?

Adachi sat in a prison block, growling and looking around at the people around him. In front of him lay a permanent marker and a piece of paper.

"Somehow…" He picked up the pen and gripped it with both hands.

"Someday…" He began to bend it, inducing a crackling sound.

"I'll have my revenge!" Breaking the marker in half, he watched its ink spill out and cover his hands. The shards lay in front of him like a broken figure.

-…-

Tuesday, May 17th

Kanji Tatsumi found himself combing his hair in the bathroom before school ended. Pausing to contemplate what he was doing, he thought out loud, "What has gotten into me?"

-…-

The Investigation Team hovered near the gate of Yasogami High, watching and waiting for Kanji's companion to arrive.

"Look, there he is!" Chie whispered.

The blue-garbed teenager walked up to Kanji and looked around. "I'm sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"

"No, I… I just got here." Kanji said.

"Alright then. Follow me." The boy walked off, and Kanji after him.

"Alright!" Yosuke said. "Chie and I will follow those two. The three of you cover Tatsumi Textiles. Got iT/"

"What?" Chie asked.

"Let's go!" Yosuke ran after the two boys.

"W-wait!" Chie dashed after him.

-…-

Kanji was just walking along with the boy, trying to mind his own business.

"Excuse me?"

Kanji jumped, blushing at the smaller boy's sudden exclamation.

"Could I cut to the chase and ask you some questions?" The boy in blue asked.

"Oh, yeah… Sure." Extra blood drained away from Tatsumi's cheeks.

Yosuke hid behind a telephone pole and put his phone up to his ear. "Satonaka… Satonaka… Do you copy? Over."

"Yeah. The targets are conversing 50 meters in front of me. Over."

Yosuke paused to think. "Why are we positioned like this, anyway? Over." Satonaka was about five feet away from him, crouching behind a mailbox.

"Because if he saw us together, he'd get us both. Over. Jeez."

"You put 'over' in the wrong place. Plus, we're right next to each other. Over."

"Whatever. I'm getting the munchies. Over."

"Like I care! Why don't you just call delivery?"

"Delivery?" Chie blinked. "But we're not in a building."

"Don't you know Aiya delivers anywhere and everywhere?"

"What, really?" She ended the call and punched in a new number. "Heelo? I'd like an order for two nikudon, please!"

"I don't want anything!" Yosuke walked over.

Chie glared at him. "Who said I was getting anything for you? They're both for me!"

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes… I'm at…"

A shadow fell over the bickering teens.

"Whaddaya doing here?" Kanji towered over them suspiciously.

Both of them froze up. Yosuke was the first to speak.

"We're just a loving couple passing by!'

"In your dreams!" Chie screamed.

"Shut up, stupid… You're killing our cover!" Yosuke whispered.

"But I don't like what I don't like!" Chie persisted.

Kanji paused and thought for a second. "Hey, haven't I seen you two around before?"

"We're not snooping!" Yosuke held up his hands.

Chie nodded. "Yeah… We don't think you guys are queer!"

Kanji blushed heavily. "Qu-QUEER?"

Yosuke poked Chie. "Run for it!" He sprinted off.

"What? You- you're too quick to run!" Chie dashed after him.

"Hey! Get back here!" Kanji screamed. "It's not like that! I swear it isn't!" He began to run after them.

-…-

SOME TIME BEFORE:

Yui and Yukiko stood on a paved staircase outside Tatsumi Textiles. Mogura was inside the shop, apparently interested in something to buy. The grey-haired girl looked at her friend. "What's wrong? You look… distracted."

"Oh? Um… I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"About how it's so pretty out here…" She looked down.

"Is something bothering you?" Yui asked.

Yukiko blushed. "It… It's my Shadow… She… she said I was going to use Chie and Mogura to escape… And… I hate to say this… but it was kind of true. So… I feel like I owe them an apology. Especially Mogura."

"What are you going to apologize for?"

"Um… I don't know… Abusing their trust?"

"Really?" Yui smirked. "Before you do that, I think I should tell you what Mogura and Chie's Shadows were like."

"Huh? Why?"

"Clarity's sake. Chie's Shadow was scared that she was being stuck in your shadow. Metaphorically speaking."

Yukiko began to laugh. "I'm sorry… I'm making this worse… go on…"

"And Mogura's Shadow was scared that you and other people were going to abuse his blindness to get him to do things for them."

"Well… His Shadow was right… Even if I try to hide it… I still want a Prince… I want things to go easily for me as I leave my parents." She frowned. "Even if it means hurting people."

"Maybe you just need to find something better. Something you can do… Why is it you want to leave the Inn, anyway?"

"It's too restrictive…"

"How so?"

"Well… I… I can't do what I want because I have to represent the Inn at all times. If I went out with someone, the Inn would think that we were getting married."

"So you want to choose your own fate?"

"Yes. I want to be able to say what I want and go where I want."

"Well, decide what you want to say and where you want to go… Isn't the Amagi Inn Manager allowed to give orders to any other Inn employee?"

"Yes, so?"

"If you want it so badly, then you can just fire yourself, right?" Narukami smirked.

"But…" She sighed. "It seems like the Inn really needs my help… And I'm the only heir…"

"Maybe you should talk to your parents."

"Well, I don't think they care about my opinions."

"They have to. You're the only heir, remember?"

Yukiko smiled. "I usually don't talk about stuff like this with Chie… Could we talk more often? Could I have your cellphone number?"

"Sure." Yui nodded. "After all, we're going to need it for the investigation, right?"

A little while later, they had each other as contacts.

"Oh… Also…" Yukiko looked around. "Do… do you have Mogura's number?"

"Yep. Whaddaya need it for?" She winked.

"Don't give me that! For-for the investigation, of course!" Yukiko stuttered.

Yui laughed. "Sure. He's a cutie, isn't he?"

"Stop teasing me! It's not like that!" Yukiko looked embarrassed.

"Yes. Please stop teasing her."

Yui jumped and turned around. Yukiko squeaked audibly.

"You guys are doing a great job being on guard for the murderer, you know that?" Mogura gave them a vampire grin. He was carrying a plain cardboard box, presumably with something in it.

Narukami turned red. "Shut up! Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop!"

"Don't you know it's rude to talk about people behind their backs?" Mogura countered.

"Hey… Don't you just-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Chie and Yosuke came sprinting up the road.

"I'll beat you and beat you good!" Kanji howled after them. "There ain't gonna be nothing left of you!"

"Well, how about that." Yui said. "We don't have to guard here anymore."

-?-

"What?" Mogura asked.

"Let's run." Yui dashed down the steps. Yukiko followed her, and Mogura stumbled down confusedly.

-…-

"Great." Yosuke panted. "Now he's gonna get all of us!" They were high-tailing it down the streets on Inaba at breakneck speed, with Kanji hot on their heels.

"You're so dead! You're so freaking dead!" Kanji screamed.

"Hey, Chie!" Yosuke turned to the girl running beside him. "You know that line… 'I'll hold him off, while you keep going'… Here's your chance to use it!"

"I have always wanted to say that…" Chie considered.

"Don't let him fool you, Chie!" Yukiko cried.

"You know what? So have I." Mogura said. "Here, Yukiko!" He handed Yui the box.

"What? I'm Yui!"

"Same difference. Just make sure it gets to outside my room's door. Now, where is he in relation to me?"

"You're crazy! He'll crush you into dirt!"

"A little bit to your left."

"Yosuke!"

"Right!" He turned around and charged, wielding his staff. "HYAAAHHHH!" There was a crash and some cursing, and then:

"Gib me te' box! Gib me te' box!" Mogura came sprinting past, snorting and trying to cover a bloody nose. "Ib tidn't wuk at alul! He'z just muh angreh!"

"You're gonna pay for that, you- Huh?" A motorcycle roared past Kanji.

A blue-haired girl drove a small delivery motorcycle and set it on cruise control right in front of the running teenagers .Everybody that could see her gaped as she held out a dish with two bowls on it. "Thank you for your patronage. That'll be 1600 yen."

Chie dug into her pockets. "I'm sorry, do you have change?"

"What the hell?" Yosuke looked at the motorcycle slack-jawed.

"Here's 100 yen, Chie!" Yukiko pulled a coin out of her purse.

Yosuke waved her down. "Save it!"

Chie paid the driver and took the tray. "Thanks."

"Just leave the bowls." The girl accelerated and began to drive off.

"WHERE?" Yosuke screamed.

-…-

"I think we lost him." The whole Team was grouped under a bridge.

Yui collapsed. "I hope so."

"Chie… Is it good?" Yukiko turned to look at her friend. The martial artist had begun digging into her meal.

Chie sighed happily. "It's so nice and warm!"

Yosuke threw his hands up. "There's no way we're doing that again. Maybe we should just give up."

"But whut abut Knji?" Mogura coughed and put his box down.

"He can take care of himself. He's not gonna get kidnapped without a fight."

"Mogura, your nose is bleeding!" Yukiko cried.

"Nuh… Ah nebber nutuzed thut, Yukikah…" Mogura snorted.

"Let's disband. Goodnight, guys…" Yosuke walked off.

-…-

Yui sat down to watch the Midnight Channel.

As it flickered on, her eyes scrunched up in confusion. _What the?_

Suddenly, very seductive music began to play, and Yui could feel her cheeks redden.

"**Welcome to Kanji's Bad Bad Bathhouse!"** Kanji, dressed only in a towel around his waist, appeared on the screen., flexing his muscles and generally acting 'queer'.

The grey-haired girl bit her lip. _Yosuke is gonna have a field day with this…_

**-Persona4-**

**NEXT SCENT: A SUSPICIOUS SAUNA**

"_How are we supposed to respond to that?"_

"_I'm going to need something more to find Kanji…"_

"_We're not copping out now!"_

"_**What's wrong with doing what I want?"**_

**-Persona4-**_._


	13. Chapter 12: Suspicious Sauna

Author's Note: I've decided to pull out of the RPG for the most part because it's been sucking up all of the time I don't spend on Tumblr or trying to get my grandfather's broken laptop to work again (mostly success, BTW). However, The Golden is still in the works. There will be slight changes throughout the story and in the characters in the reboot in order to remain as close to the original as possible. Also, school's coming up. So yeah. Thank you again, my undeserved fans. /Author's Note

Yui quickly pulled out her phone and pressed some buttons.

"Hellloooo… This is Kanji Tatsumi, reporting from the _steamy _Bad, Bad Bathhouse!" He displayed his muscles. "I'm here to show you a sublime site that can help overcome the separation of the sexes!" He jutted his hips forward, and kawaii flowers burst out around him. Yui wiped her forehead of sweat. "Let's see some smoking hot love in here! I'm just dying to see someone to share my heart... and other things… with!"

Yui's face turned crimson red, and she could barely stand to watch Kanji flaunting himself half-naked.

"I'm gonna _thrust_ farther in!" He giggled. "Who knows what could happen to me in there? Well, tootles!" Shadow Kanji turned around before the screen shimmered and went black.

Yui looked stunned for a second before returning her focus to the phone. It buzzed, and Chie's contact banner appeared.

"H-hello?"

"Yui?"

"S-speaking…"Yui's face remained flushed.

"How are we supposed to respond to that?" Chie muttered.

"Um… It was Kanji?" The grey-haired girl sat back on her couch. "I'm as weirded out as you were."

"Right… So, um… We _are_ still going into the Midnight Channel, right?" Chie asked uncertainly.

Yui straightened up. "Yeah, of course! Did you think we were gonna quit just because, you know… _that_showed up?"

"Um… Well… I-I wasn't sure! That was really unsettling to watch…"

There was silence for a second.

"Yui?" The sporty girl coughed.

"Yes, Chie?"

"Can I have your opinion on something?"

Yui blinked. "Sure. What is it?"

"Um… Yosuke or Mogura. Which one is your type?" She mumbled embarrassedly.

"Seriously?" Yui almost laughed.

"Sh-shut up! I'm just asking!"

She thought for a second. "Um… Both?"

There was fumbling on the other end. "BOTH? Y-you can't have BOTH! T-that's just-"

"Selfish?" Yui grinned.

"Among other things, yes!" Chie sighed. "You're ridiculous. See you tomorrow, I guess."

"Oh, wait." Yui looked at her phone. "Do you want a copy of the video?"

"What? NO!"

-…-

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor looked up.

Margaret nodded. "I see you have forged a new bond." A card descended into the Compendium, and the lady in blue flipped it open to a page displaying the discussion between Yui and Yukiko. "The High Priestess, which, as I remember, I have informed you about previously."

Yui nodded. "The High Priestess is stereotypically female, right?"

Igor smiled. "Everyone has the secrets and surprises that make them unique. Remember that."

Then he turned dead serious again. "The calamity which will befall you is stealing human life as it draws ever closer. However, do not be afraid. You already have the means to fight back."

Margaret nodded. "Know that when you need our help, we will be there to assist you."

Yui nodded. "Thank you."

-…-

-Persona4-

CHAPTER 12: SUSPICIOUS SAUNA

_Courage- Daring_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Persuasive_

_Understanding- Generous_

_Diligence- Strong_

-Persona 4-

-…-

"Wow… We're actually inside the TV…" Yukiko looked around.

Chie nodded. "Oh , yeah. This is Yukiko's first time in the TV."

"Second time, if you count her being kidnapped." Mogura corrected.

"Well, I didn't, so shut up."

While they argued, Yosuke had to deal with a different brand of trouble.

"What do you mean you can't find him?"

Teddie grumbled and sniffed the air sporadically. "Oh… This is bear-ry bad… I can smell someone… but I can't tell from where!"

"Well, what else can you tell? Like, do you know the person's size?" Yui asked.

Yosuke looked at the girl strangely. "What? Why would you ask that?"

"Because if he knows the size, then he knows what he's targeting. And if he knows what he's targeting, he knows where to find it."

Yosuke sighed. "Well, he can't find it, so…"

"So what? Our hands are tied?" Chie grumbled.

Yukiko stepped towards the bear. "So… Teddie, could we help you? Like, get something to help your nose?"

"I'm going to need something more to find Kanji…" He perked up. "I know! Maybe if I got something with this 'Kanji' guy's scent, I could sniff him out."

"Well, that's not going to be easy." Mogura chewed his lip.

Chie crossed her arms. "What? Why not? I'm sure he has loads of stuff that would work."

"Yeah… Except we'd be freaking stealing. And we can't just walk around asking people for stuff with a guy's _scent _on it."

"Yeah…" Yosuke laughed. "_Hey, Mrs. Tatsumi… I hope you don't mind if we take Kanji's bedsheets for a little bit._ Do you know how creepy that sounds?_"_

"Hmm…" Yui tapped her foot. "Then I guess we're gonna have to troll around town for anything we can manage."

-…-

"I'm sorry." Mrs. Tatsumi frowned. "He hasn't been back since yesterday. Since it's been so dangerous, I sent a notice to the police."

"You must be worried," Yukiko said, leaning forward.

"Yes." The lady looked down. "He leaves without a word all the time, but this is the first time he's never come back."

Chie tapped her chin in thought. "That's surprising. I'd think he'd be out at night fighting those gang members."

"Hey! Watch it!" Yosuke elbowed her.

However, Mrs. Tatsumi merely chuckled. "It's alright. I'll be the first to admit that he's a little rough. A little while ago, he got in a fight with some bikers." She smiled sadly. "The noise was keeping me up at night… so he got really angry and chased them away."

"He beat up an entire biker gang by himself so you could sleep?" Yui looked duly impressed.

Yosuke nodded. "Now that's what I call filial piety."

"Excuse me?" A little boy stood outside the shop.

Yui walked outside to talk to him. "Can I help you?"

"Is that guy in?" The boy pointed to behind her.

"You mean the one that lives here?"

"Yeah." He held up a small charm of a pink bunny.

Yui's eyes widened. "That's…"

It was the same doll that Kanji Tatsumi had dropped before!

"I was borrowing Sana-san's phone strap with a doll on it. But I lost the doll and couldn't find it no matter where I looked. I started crying… But then…"

"_Hey! Come on, man! Don't cry over spilt milk! I… Argh." Kanji crouched to speak to the boy. "What's it look like?" _

_The boy stopped crying. "Wh-What?"_

"_I could make something like it… I just need to know about what it looks like."_

"_Really?" The boy's eyes lit up. _

_Kanji nodded. "Just tell her what happened and ask for forgiveness. Come on, I'll go with you."_

"He even made me one to match Sana's."

Yui smiled. "That's so sweet of him!"

"Wait." Yosuke stepped forward. "You mean Kanji Tatsumi made that strap from scratch?"

The boy nodded.

Yukiko held out her hands. "May I hold it for a second?" She held it up and studied it. "I can't see any stitches on it at all!"

"It-It's cute…" Chie rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know what to think about Kanji making something like this."

"Yeah. It totally changes my image of him." Yosuke muttered.

Mogura twirled his staff nervously. "Sorry to be a buzzkill, but couldn't he have just found something online?"

Yui looked at it and shook her head. "Nope. There aren't any tags or places to put tags. Something bought would have tags on it, and there would have to be stitches to hold the tag. It's still pretty cute, though."

"Huh. Seems legit." The blind boy seemed satisfied.

"Can we borrow this for a bit?" Yukiko asked.

The boy looked hesitant. "If you promise that you won't lose it."

Yui nodded. "We promise."

-…-

As they walked into Junes, something caught Yui's eye. "Hey." She tapped Yosuke on the shoulder. Isn't that the guy we saw earlier? The one that was talking to Kanji?"

Sure enough, the boy in blue stood by the Junes elevators. He turned around and studied the group. "So we meet again. For future reference, my name is Naoto Shirogane."

"Yeah. What a coincidence, right?"

"Yes. It seems Kanji Tatsumi has gone into hiding."

Mogura paused in the middle of thought. "Wait. Hiding? From what?"

Naoto looked at Mogura as if he had just asked why the world was round. "From the police, of course. Mr. Tatsumi is not very popular with the law at this point in time."

"What makes you think he would hide from the police?"

Yosuke cut him off. "Anyways, what is it you two were talking about before?"

Naoto analyzed Yosuke before responding. "Why do you need to know?"

"Just curious is all."

He sighed. "Fair enough. But all I did was ask him about his recent activities."

"That's another thing-" Mogura was pulled away by Yui.

"What the hell are you doing?" She whispered. "You're killing our chance to talk to this guy."

Mogura looked disgruntled. "Why would he talk to this guy at all if he was scared of cops? This Naoto is hiding something for sure. And why does he care about Kanji so much? Plus, there's something wrong with his voice."

Yui sighed. "You're being paranoid. But we'll talk about this later."

"…So I told him, 'You're acting strangely, aren't you?' That seemed to unnerve him." Naoto continued.

Yosuke's brow furrowed. "He doesn't seem like the type to care about stuff like that."

Shirogane looked pained. "Don't judge people based on appearance. He may be suffering from some sort of complex."

-…-

"A complex?" Yosuke pondered while Teddie sniffed the phone strap. "Like what?"

"It's when someone's philosophy of life changes based on a specific experience or group of experiences." Yui explained. "Like, someone that was constantly belittled as a child may have memories of it hiding in the back of their mind, making them feel resentful or inferior. Kanji might have had something happen to him that made him want to act more 'manly'."

"Wow, Yui. I didn't know you knew stuff about psychology." Chie said.

"You would too if you had listened during class." The grey-haired girl muttered.

Mogura nodded. "I'm quite amazed that you guys study stuff like psychology as sophomores. Normally, someone would have to choose that class specifically."

"What do you study in America?" Yukiko asked.

"Generics. Language and Math and Science. Also, Social Studies. Nothing really special. Unfortunately, Japanese isn't a very popular subject in most parts of the U.S."

"I wish that were the case here." Chie grumbled. "English is too hard."

"That's it!" Everyone jumped at Teddie's outburst. "I've got that bear's scent down!" He began to sniff the air rapidly. "I think I've got him! This way, everyone!" He dashed off.

"Hey! Wait!"

-…-

**BATH-HOUSE**

**MEN ONLY**

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Yosuke stepped back.

"A-bear-so-lutely!" Teddie hopped from side to side. "His scent is coming from deep in there for sure!"

Steam poured out of the windows of the sauna, and bluesy music emanated from the inside. It certainly didn't give the impression of a regular bath-house. There was something dark, almost villainous, about what was inside.

The auburn slacker swallowed. "Um… I don't think that's safe for men to enter."

"Why not?" Teddie asked. "The sign says 'Men Only'. It must be dangerous to women if they won't let girls go in. But it's safe for you guys… right?"

"Yeah… Unless you're a lady, Yosuke, and I sincerely doubt you are…" Mogura swallowed. "We're going in there, whether we like it or not."

"Oh, come on!" Chie shoved the boys heavily. "It's not gonna be that bad."

Yosuke shook his head. "No. You don't get it. I know exactly why it says 'Men Only' on the sides."

"Horror stories…" Mogura shuddered.

"Well, you're just gonna have to suck it up then." Chie said.

"Yeah." Yui nodded. "We're not copping out now!"

-…-

Unsurprisingly, the boys were very uncomfortable as they passed through the halls of the sauna. Warm steam was everywhere, causing everyone but Teddie to sweat profusely.

Yosuke sighed. "Auuughhhh… It's too damn hot in here! Say, why don't we split up… Mogura and I look everywhere else in the TV World, and you girls look in here. We spread out our search, and everybody's happy, right?"

"I don't think so, Yosuke. Even though it's hot as hell in here, we have to find Kanji." Mogura opened his uniform jacket to let air flow through it. "And anyways, I don't think it's a good idea to split up in here, even if we've only been searching for five minutes."

Chie nodded. "That's right. Yosuke, do you do nothing but complain around here?"

"Hey, I heal everybody, remember? You guys should be thankful for me."

"Yeah, but a healer isn't gonna do us any good if he isn't around." Yui rolled her eyes.

Teddie stopped to sniff the air. "Hey! I smell something behind this door!"

"It may be Kanji!" Yukiko said.

"Alright." Yui prepared her weapon. "Everybody get ready. Yukiko, follow our lead in fighting the Shadows, alright?"

The Priestess nodded, and they charged in.

-…-

Kicking the door open, Yui raised her sword and ran… directly into a banner hanging above her. "Bwah-huh?" She stepped back into the other Investigation Team members and felt her way around the sides. When she had gotten around the edge, she could see that it had the kanji [Japanese character] for 'strawberries' on it. But what surprised her even more was that Kanji wasn't there… At least, his human self.

"_**Ooh… So much attention! It makes my heart race!"**_Shadow Kanji was dawdling around in the center of the room they were it, like he had been on the Midnight Channel. Yui's face flushed. The blonde was still shirtless and wearing a waist-wrap.

"_**It's about time someone showed up to share the love… Oh**_**…" **He looked over Yui as if he were disappointed.

"W-What?" she asked, stepping out from behind the curtain.

"_**Oh, nothing. I just don't think you'll fit the bill. You lack something very specific."**_ A giggle burst out from the Shadow before all the others came out from behind Yui. Yukiko and Mogura came out first, but Chie and Teddie had to drag Yosuke in.

Shadow Kanji winked at the boys and flexed his muscles again. _**"Now that's more like it! Now we can really get this show on the road."**_

Suddenly, a TV title appeared over the Shadow's head:

_TAKE THE PLUNGE! NO GIRLS ALLOWED! ONE STEAMY NIGHT OF LOVE!_

Once again, Yosuke tried to break free, but Chie twisted his arm and grabbed the back of his neck with her free hand.

"Let me go! Who knows what that freak is gonna do to me?"

Shadow Kanji flared up darkly for a second. _**"SO YOU DON'T LIKE BEING 'FREAKY', THEN? WELL, WE CAN CHANGE THAT!"**_ He went back to normal before giggling again. _**"I guess I'm gonna have to **__**thrust **__**farther in! See ya later!"**_ Yui charged at him, but he disappeared into scented roses.

"Huh." Mogura said. "Somehow, that reminded me of Shadow Yukiko."

"What? How?" Yukiko looked offended.

"The hyper-sexualization of everything, maybe?"

"I guess you're right." Chie muttered.

Hanamura pulled away from the martial artist. "Hey. Mind letting go of me?"

Chie dropped Yosuke's arm. Meanwhile Yukiko was worriedly muttering to herself. "No… My Shadow couldn't have been like that… could it?"

"Well, we're gonna have to- Look out! Shadows!" Yui stepped back to regroup as cartoonish policeman Shadows flew in from the following room. "Izanagi-jo!"

"My Shadow was just like that?" Yukiko growled, flipping out a fan.

"Oedipus!"

"Hey, Yukiko, don't take it so harshly…" Yui said nervously.

"Persona!" Chie summoned Tomoe.

"That…" Amagi's face gritted.

"Come on, Jiraya!"

A pulsing blue Priestess card formed in front of Yukiko. She leveled the fan, her eyes telegraphing hidden rage.

**-BURNNG UP!-**

"That pisses me off!" Slicing through the card with ease, Amagi slid out of the way as her Persona burst into the fray. Konohana Sakuya raised her feathered arms, and columns of fire appeared all around the room. Although it ravaged the incoming horde, it also left collateral damage.

"Aw, geez, that hurt. What happened?" Mogura lay on the ground before realizing a tingling sensation on his left leg. "Huh?"

"Kolura! Your leg is bear-ning up!"

"What? AEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHH H! I'm on fire! Help!" He jumped up and started hopping around.

"Mabufu!" Chie cried. The ice that burst from her Persona got whipped up by Jiraya's wind, flash-freezing about a quarter of the Shadows. Unfortunately, it also hit Yosuke.

"Brr… Now I'm freezing my ass off! Can't we use moderation here?" Hanamura shivered.

Mogura waved his arms. "I'm still ON FIRE, you jerks!"

Yukiko stopped and saw what she did. "Oh no! I'm so sorry!" She reached out a hand, and healing energy poured out from Sakuya to Oedipus and Jiraya, warming and extinguishing each of the boys respectively.

Mogura sighed, relieved. "Oh, hell yes. I thought I was gonna be lame _and_ blind."

"You already are lame." Yosuke quipped.

"Shut up and fight, guys!" Yui cried. Izanagi-jo was holding off about six Shadows on her own. Quickly, Oedipus and Tomoe set to work on close combat, while Jiraya and Konohana used their ranged magic to clear out any stragglers. When they were done, it looked like someone had thrown an overcrowded New Year's party and then set off the fireworks. Inside.

"Oh dear." Yukiko whispered, looking around ashamedly. "You guys do this all the time?"

"Yup." Yui said proudly.

There was an awkward silence until the adjacent doorframe collapsed in, leaving a gaping hole for everyone to exit through.

-…-

"Tch…" Kanji stood up in the middle of the Bad Bad Bathhouse. "What the hell? Where am I?"

_**"So, you've FINALLY woken up…"**_

"What? Where are you?" Kanji put up his fists. "Show yourself, dammit!"

"_**Oh… playing macho man again?"**_

"Playing? I ain't playing!" Kanji roared. "I'm serious! If you don't stop hiding, I'm gonna beat you until you can't feel your eyeballs!"

"_**It's so sad. Nobody wants to play with Tough ol' Tatsumi…"**_

"Huh?"

"_**Kanji the delinquent…" **_

"I ain't a delinquent! I- I just don't care what the police think!"

"_**But you're just one big old softie on the inside, aren't you?"**_

Kanji swallowed and looked around again. Nothing but steam and lockers as far as the eye could see.

"_**That's right… Painting and sewing and helping out little sniveling kids. You're a really tough guy, aren't you?"**_

This really set Kanji off. "That kid wasn't sniveling! He needed my goddamn help! Tch. What else was I supposed to do? Let him screw himself over?" He gritted his teeth and screamed, "GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND STOP HIDING LIKE A FUCKING COWARD!"

"_**Hiding?"**_ A giggle. _**"I'm right here."**_

Kanji's eyes bulged as his Shadow stepped out of the steam. "Wha-What the hell?"

"_**Surprised?"**_ The toweled duplicate glared evilly. _**"You shouldn't be."**_

-…-

"Kanji's right here! I know it!" Teddie jumped up and down. "He's right behind this bear-ry door!"

"Alright, then…" Yui looked at the other Investigation Team members. They weren't so enthusiastic. "Let's go, team!"

No response.

"Right?"

Mogura cranked his fist in the air. "Woo-hoo."

-…-

"_**Oh, you're so gentle…"**_ Kanji's Shadow had been pinned under his hulking counterpart, who was now trying to find a way to murder the thing.

"Shut up, you asshole! And stay still so I can choke the shit outta you!"

"Um… Hi." Yui mumbled.

"Huh? Oh shit-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?" Kanji's face turned a deep purple.

"Uh… We're here to rescue you?" Yosuke offered.

Kanji went from terrified to indignant. "Rescue me? If you are, you're doing a damn poor job of it!"

"_**Upsy-daisy!"**_ Shadow Kanji pushed the real McCoy off of him and stood up, flexing his muscles. _"__**HMPH! I won't let you interfere!"**_

Suddenly, a flow of sticky, clear liquid formed between the Kanjis and the Investigation Team.

Mogura stepped forward. "Oh, screw this! Personaaaaaaaauuuurgh!" He slipped and fell on his back, sliding deeper into the goo. "Urgh… What is thi-" He blushed upon realization. "OH my…rrrrrgggGGHHH!" He tried to get up, but slipped again.

Yukiko stepped forward. "Um, Mogura, are you… eeeep!" She began to slip as well.

Chie grabbed onto her shoulder but she was too unbalanced to stop Yukiko's momentum. Fortunately, she was able to grab onto Yosuke. Unfortunately, he was unprepared, so he not only fell with Chie, he also accidentally dragged Yu into the mix as well. Teddie was just dumb enough to follow everybody else.

Yosuke pulled himself up and sighed, whipping goo from his face. "Please do not tell me what I think just happened... happened."

"_**Eee-hee hee. Now we have some free time. Isn't that right, Kanji-kun?"**_

Kanji by this point was surprisingly exhausted. Perhaps the Shadow was draining power from him. "Go… To… Hell."

The Shadow flared up again. _**"Oh, come now. Enough with the charade. Isn't it terrible to deceive people? To deceive yourself?" **_He smiled_. __**"What's wrong with doing what I want?"**_

"Arggh… I- I…"

"_**No matter what I do, people always treat me like a creep. It's so annoying, y'know. One minute I start sewing, and people call me a queer. The next I start being all rough-n'-tough and they try to arrest me. What's a guy to do?"**_

"That's not… I don't…"

"_**Isn't it terrible how people judge you not by what you do, but what they think you should do? 'Painting is so not you.' 'Get a job, you worthless bum!' It pisses me off."**_

Yui struggled to get up, but continued to slip.

"_**So if I have to choose between beating stupid losers with no lives up and sewing to make people happy,**__**I'm gonna choose FUCKING SEWING!" **_The Shadow jumped just out of Kanji's reach. _**"Oooh. So close. Um, what else… Oh yeah. Boys."**_

This was apparently a touchy topic for Kanji. His eyes bulged, and he put all of his strength into crawling after his Shadow.

"_**I find a lotta boys cute. So what? Girls find boys cute. They're just cute boys. I enjoy looking at them and talking to them because they're cute! Does that make me a weirdo? For seeing people for what they are?"**_

Kanji growled. "You shut your goddamn mouth…"

"_**And helping out little kids. You'd think I was a pedophile the way the police treat me about it. It's like you're supposed to hate kids until you become a freaking parent or something."**_

"Persona!" Yui missed her card.

"_**So I'm hated no matter what I do. I guess I'll just do whatever I like." **__He winked.__** "And I can be pretty kinky."**_

Kanji managed to stand up. "What makes you think you can say that shit with my face?"

Shadow Kanji looked amused. **"Because I'm you, and you're me. You do know that, right?"**

Tatsumi stepped back, shaking his head. "Oh no… No, no, no."

"Kanji! Don't say it!" Yui screamed.

Kanji stumbled forward, raised his fist, and roared, "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT YOU'RE ME!"

Shadow Kanji caught his doppelganger's fist and pushed him back. The human tumbled to the ground unconscious.

"_**You're me, and there's no denying it!"**_ Shadow Kanji was consumed into dark smoke. The slippery slime disappeared, and the whole team took the chance to stand up.  
>Kanji's Shadow took the form of the Shadow's humanoid form hiding inside a behemoth of a statue. The place where it hid was filled with red, white, and pink roses. On each of the arms, the statue held a humongous bronze Mars ring.<p>

"**I AM A SHADOW… THE TRUE SELF… I'M JUST BEING TRUE TO MYSELF… WHICH IS WHY YOU'VE GOT TO GO!"**

"Aw, man!" Yosuke got to his feet. "This isn't ending well."

"Is that- Is that what we have to fight?" Yukiko stepped back.

Chie got into a defensive posture. "Man. I can't believe this is what Kanji really feels."

"Persona!" Yui cried. She shook her head as Izanagi-jo appeared. "It's just his emotions going nuts… Just like all the other Shadows!" She looked pointedly at Yukiko, who caught the drift.

"Whatever. Let's just do this." Mogura twirled his staff. "Oedipus!"

"Tomoe!"

"Jiraya!"

"Konohana Sakuya!"

Izanagi-jo was the first to rush at the enemy. However, she was quickly cut off by a sideways tackle. Struggling to understand what just happened, Yui saw a statue of a man in a waist-cloth groping her Persona.

"Aw, come on, save some love for me!" the hyper-stereotype statue pinned Izanagi-jo to the ground. "Let's see how much of a stud you are!"

Before she could respond, however, Yui felt a pulling sensation between her legs.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Her face twisted out of sheer indignity. "Change!"

Jack Lantern appeared, driving a burst of fire straight in the enemy's face. This caused him to stumble back and get caught in one of Jiraya's windstorms. "Woah! These guys have spunk!" The beefy caricature flexed his marble muscles. "And I like it!"

"What the-"

"Sometimes, you just have to get tough!" Another statue appeared behind the boys. "You're so tiny, I could just eat you up!"

Yosuke squeaked and collapsed in agony.

The statue grinned and moved on. "You too!"

Mogura's neck twitched, and Oedipus turned around, hurling his sword at the new foe. However, it simply rebounded off, skittering to land not far from where it was thrown.

"The hell?" The blind man stuttered, struggling to escape his captor's death grip. "He didn't even flinch!"

"Maybe you're just not hitting hard enough!" Tomoe flew in and struck the second statue dead in the skull, but he didn't budge an inch.

In fact, he just grinned larger. "Come on, baby! Show me what you've got!"

"HUH?" Chie looked like she was gonna faint.

Yukiko had her Persona attack the first statue, engulfing it entirely in flames. However, it hardly looked dazed.

"My heart's burning up within me!"

"W-What's going on?" Amagi tensed herself up.

Kanji's Shadow giggled. **"I SEE YOU'VE MET MY TWO **_**PALS**_**, NICE GUY AND TOUGH GUY. YOU DON'T SEEM TO BE DOING MUCH AGAINST THEM, THOUGH. MAYBE IF YOU HAD MORE FIREPOWER, YOU'D STAND A CHANCE!"**

Yui looked livid. "I'll show you firepower!" Jack Lantern caused tower after tower of fire to appear, but none of them seemed to hit the Shadow.

"**AW, HOW CUTE. NOW WE CAN REALLY GET THINGS STARTED!" **Shadow Kanji threw his Mars rings up in the air, then grabbed them and hammered the ground with them. Streaks of lightning covered the area, incapacitating Yosuke entirely and shocking everyone else severely.

"Guys! Yosuke's in trouble!" Teddie ran over to Hanamura. "Stay awake, Yosuke-san!"

"Shut up!" Chie froze Nice Guy in ice, but that only healed him. "Ooh! The cold makes my heart rush!"

"Strike Silent!" Oedipus pointed at Shadow Kanji, rendering him incapable of speech. However, the Shadow did stick his tongue out at Mogura.

"Come on! He's vulnerable now!" Yui switched back to Izanagi-jo and fought hand to hand with the hulking figure.

"Let me help you out there!" Nice Guy broke free of the ice and flexed his muscles again.

Shadow Kanji flashed blue and coughed. **"AW, THAT'S SO SWEET OF YOU!" **Charging the rings with electricity, he hammered Yui's Persona back.

"Oh, come on! Grrrrgh!" Yukiko tried this time to roast Nice Guy, but it didn't do much.

"Shit! Get me down from here!" Mogura writhed in Tough Guy's iron grip. His Persona tried to use a poison spell, but was cut off by another bolt of lightning from Shadow Kanji. The blind man lurched forward and went limp. "Gaaah… Ehhhh…"

"**AH, AH, AH. WE'RE NOT ENDING THIS SO SOON. I'M HAVING TOO MUCH FUN!"**

Yui struggled to get up. "Ch-Change! Sarasvati!" A Priestess Persona playing a stringed instrument appeared, causing Yui's mind to clear of anger.

_Wait a minute. He's been making the girls angry! Of course! That's why I can't aim straight!_

"Patra!"

Yukiko stopped what she was doing and blinked. "What? What am I-"

"Yukiko! I need you to heal everybody!" Yui gritted her teeth. "We can't keep fighting like this!"

The black-haired girl nodded and whipped out her fan again. "Alright! Persona!"

The pink and white figure appeared again, spreading her arms and allowing healing power to flow to all her allies.

"**URRGH. YOU NEVER DO GIVE UP, DO YOU?"** Shadow Kanji powered himself up. **"WELL, LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE ****THIS****!"**

"Jiraya! Now!" Yosuke cried from the ground. "Garu!"

Sure enough, a blast of wind interrupted Shadow Kanji, causing him to stumble backwards and collapse.

"**WHAT? I THOUGHT I GOT RID OF YOU!"**

Tough Guy dropped Mogura. "Hey, man, are you okay?" He stepped forward, only to be tackled by Oedipus. The Hermit drove his poisoned sword between Tough Guy's ribs, then stepped aside as Tomoe froze him.

"Hey… That's my job…" The statue disappeared in a burst of shadowy steam.

Konohana Sakuya and Izanagi-jo evaporated Nice Guy in a burst of fire and lighting, eliciting a scream from the fallen Shadow.

"**MY… MY PALS!"** Shadow Kanji stood up and raised the Mars Rings, tears forming in his eyes. **"I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU'D NEVER ACCEPT ME! NOBODY DOES!"**

"I thought I told you to shut up!" Human Kanji struggled to get up.

"**YOU'RE STILL ALIVE? I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO PUT YOU DOWN FOR GOOD!"**

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Shadow Kanji prepared to strike.

-…-

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."  
>Yui blinked. "What? How am I here?"<p>

"We told you that whenever you needed us the most, we would come to your aid." Margaret looked up. "My master has called you here to teach you a new technique."

Igor smiled. "Fusion. It is an interesting ability that allows you to create stronger Personas out of the ones you already have. For example… Take a Magician Persona and a Priestess Persona…"

-…-

"**HUH?"** Shadow Kanji saw the blue mask circle appear under Yui. **"WHAT'S THIS?"**

Power pulsated around the Fool, spreading out throughout the room and causing everything to shake.

"What is she doing?" Chie braced herself from the shockwave.

Yukiko stood over Yosuke, healing him as Oedipus stood guard.

-…-

"Connect them with a Fusion Line…"

The Velvet Room's table glowed blue as the two cards pulled themselves together into one.

"…And you have a new Persona."

-…-

**-BURNING UP!-**

"Yamato-no-Orochi!" Yui cried. A huge serpent with eight heads formed, twisting and breathing ice onto Shadow Kanji.

"**N-NO! I CAN'T LOSE! NOT NOW! I WAS SO CLOSE**!" The ice ended up several feet thick and encasing the whole figure. Shadow Kanji was unable to move or speak.

Yui gasped for breath as Kanji limped up behind her. He stooped down and picked something up.

"What?" Tatsumi held the bunny keychain up to look at it again. "How did you-"

"It's yours, isn't it?"

Kanji looked up. Yui was smiling at him.

"Yeah. So what?" Kanji blushed. "I made it even though I'm a guy."

"I think it's cute."

Kanji embarrassedly looked away.

"**C-CUTE?"** Shadow Kanji flickered and burst out of the ice. **"OF COURSE IT'S CUTE! I LOVE ANYTHING THAT'S CUTE!"**

"Yeah, that's right." Kanji looked at his Shadow. He held the phone strap tightly.

"**WHAT?"**

"I LIKE CUTE SHIT!" Kanji charged at his Shadow and hammered it with a full-blown punch in the chest. Flowers flew everywhere as the statue crumbled into dust. "Tsk." He turned around and walked back to the group.

"Woah." Yosuke said. "Did he just finish off his own Shadow?"

"If he did, mad props, man." Mogura struggled up, using his staff to help balance himself.

"Kanji-san!" Teddie pointed behind the blonde delinquent. "It's not gone yet! You must find it simply un-bear-able!"

Sure enough, the Shadow had taken its former state, staring at its owner with yellow eyes.

"On guard, everyone!" Yukiko held out her fan. The whole group got into fighting stances.

But Yui waved the attack down and nodded to Kanji. "I don't think any less of you since you made the keychain, but… you need to accept your Shadow."

"Whatever." Kanji scratched the back of his head, walking toward his double. He looked down and sighed. Everyone's eyes were on him, giving him whatever support they could muster. Finally he spoke.

"Alright, fine. I hated it when people called me weird for liking stuff that wasn't 'manly'. So I buffed myself up, bleached my hair, and started being tough. But I'm just an asshole that makes people hate me." He took a deep breath. "I'm you… And you're me, dammit! So get outta my face!"

Kanji's Shadow grinned and dissolved into blue light, forming a mighty giant with skeletal imprints and a huge lightning bolt-shaped weapon.

"Hey, his Persona is pretty masculine!" Chie smiled.

Yosuke tapped his chin. "You know, this seems familiar somehow…"

"Shut up." Mogura growled.

Kanji took his Persona card and collapsed. Jiraya scooped him up and flew towards the door. "Okay, show's over. Let's get outta here." Yosuke began to follow his Persona, until the latter rammed his head into the top of the exit's doorframe. This prompted Izanagi-jo to take Kanji instead. Yukiko began laughing uncontrollably again.

-…-

After Kanji was safely back in his mother's arms, Yui brought the phone strap back to the boy that she had gotten it from.

"Thanks, um…"

"Yui."

"Thanks, Yui! Um… Is that guy okay?" The child looked worried.

"Oh, Kanji? Yeah, he's alright."

"That's good! Now I can finally thank him!"

"I'd hold off on that, little buddy. He's really tired right now. But it's nice to know that you will."

The little boy smiled and waved as Yui walked off. "See ya, Yui!"

-…-

June 6, 2011

The Investigation Team was hanging out on the roof when they saw Kanji walk over.

"Uh… Hi." He blushed and turned away from Yui. "I came over here, and I was thinking about how you guys helped me out… so… I want to know… Can I join your team? Please?"

"Sure, why not?" Yosuke crossed his arms.

"Where'd the manners come from?" Chie smirked.

"Well, um, I didn't know you guys were my senpai."

"Finally. A freshman who doesn't pull rank."

Yukiko looked mortified. "Mogura!"

Kanji smiled. "Naw, it's okay. After all, I do owe you guys a big one."

"Actually, we'd like to talk to you about something else." Yui said.

"Yeah? What about?"

"For starters, what about that guy you were talking to?"

"Oh, him? I didn't really talk to him much. He was just asking me if anything weird happened to me lately, so I zoned out while he asked me stuff. It was kinda weird though… I was really embarrassed around him for no reason. So… I started wondering if I was never gonna be attracted to girls…"

He coughed and turned his face away, trying to compose himself.

"I-I thought over it and I tried to reject it. But I guess after seeing my Shadow, I kinda just gave up on rejecting me, or what could be if I acted like myself." He laughed. "Man. I don't talk about this much at all. I guess I never had anyone to tell it to."

"Well, it's good you decided to join us." Yui smiled.

"Yeah!I won't let you guys down!"

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: HAPPY CAMPERS**

"_What the heck is this?"_

"_How about Truth or Dare?"_

"_What was that noise?"_

"_**I… LOVE… WOMEN!"**_

_****_Edit: I saw the problem(s). The next chapter will probably have to wait a good bit. Good news is, I have a word-processing laptop at my command now.


	14. Chapter 13: Happy Campers

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for the month + delay. I have been dragging my homework out for some reason, and I don't know why. It's swallowed up too much of my time for me to get this out sooner. However, I should have less of a delay on the next chapter.

/Author's Note

-...-

"AUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH H!"

"HANAM URA-SAN!"

It was dinnertime during the yearly Yasogasmi High camping trip, and everyone was eating at the picnic tables. Just about everyone, that is. Yosuke had collapsed onto his side after taking a bite of his dinner, eyes rolled up into his head. Yukiko and Chie stood over him, struck by horror. As Yui rushed to him, she noticed that he was drooling and appeared to be in a lot of pain.

"What happened?" She got a glass of water and propped her friend up.

"W-W-worms..." His head twitched as he spoke.

"Worms?"

"Mo-Mosqu..."

"Mosquitos?"

"Worms and mosquitoes?" Chie shook her head. "I don't think any fell in..."

Yukiko looked guilty. "Thank goodness... You know how food outside attracts insects... Hahahaha!"

"I don't see what's so funny..."

Yui looked at the food in front of her. It was a purplish meat sauce sitting alongside clean white rice. "Um... What is that?" She asked.

"You mean you can't tell? It's curry." Chie smiled. "Yukiko and I did our best to make it."

Yui swallowed what she was about to say next. She scanned the bustling lunch tables and sought out a specific third-year.

"Hey, Mogura-san! Get over here!" she waved.

The blind man took a while to walk over. "Yeah, what?"

Yui held out the plate of 'curry'. "Eat up."

Mogura sat down and put a spoonful in his mouth. His face instantly twisted into disgust, and he spit the gross concoction out. "_PT-TAH! _What the heck is this?" He found his way to the nearest trash can and tossed the plateful in. "It tastes like you mixed coffee grinds, powdered milk, oatmeal, ham, and scrambled eggs and nuked it for half an hour!"

"But we put a lot of love in it..." Yukiko muttered.

Yosuke finally sat up and coughed. "A lot of love? What the hell kind of _love_ did you put in it?"

"Well, we did put turkey in it..." Chie coughed.

Yukiko looked down. "Lots of peppers..."

"Coffee milk..."

"Lettuce..."

Everyone looked at the pair of girls angrily.

"Haha, oops..." Chie tried to laugh.

"Anyone want to order takeout?" Yui asked.

Yosuke, Mogura, and Chie all raised their hands.

"Chie!" Yukiko glared at her sheepish friend.

"Sorry... Steak sounds really good right now..."

-...-

-Persona4-

CHAPTER 13: HAPPY CAMPERS

_Courage- Daring_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Persuasive_

_Understanding- Generous_

_Diligence- Strong_

-Persona 4-

-...-

July 17, 2011

Yasogami High Camping Trip

Girl's Tent

The girls moped around in their poorly lit tent when the sun had gone down. Yui, Yukiko, and Chie had all been assigned to one slightly cramped camp.

"So... This could have gone better." Chie leaned back and sighed.

"Did you guys even think about checking a recipe?" Yui muttered. "That stuff you made was purple."

Yukiko looked distant and angry. Yui sat up on her sleeping bag and smiled sadly at her friend.

"Sorry. Even the best chefs need a recipe to make food."

Amagi ignored her and rolled over, pulling her sleeping bag over her eyes. Chie tapped the grey-haired girl on the shoulder. "She's just tired and a little angry. Let her be." she whispered.

Yukiko sat up in her sleeping bag. "I... I take a lot of pride in my cooking... maybe a bit too much... But at least the takeout was good!" She perked up.

Yui laughed. "Yeah. Who would've guessed that Aiya delivers this far out?"

"Well, they did get us on the go that one time when we were being chased by Kanji."

They chatted a little while longer and then an awkward silence fell over the tent.

Yui rolled her head around. "So... Whaddaya want to do?"

"How about truth or dare?" Chie asked.

"There's not many dares we can do in here... And there's not enough people to make it fun." Yukiko muttered.

"What about 'I never ever?'" Yui asked.

"Ooh! I know that!" Satonaka shifted. "It's when you say something strange you've done by saying 'I never ever' before saying it. Like... 'I never ever stole something.'"

Amagi looked startled. "You stole something, Chie?"

"What? N-... Well, I _did _steal Yosuke's bike... But he owed me for it."

"I'll start." Yui tapped her chin. "Um... I never ever broke a door."

"Well, I never ever watched six samurai movies in one sitting." Chie said proudly.

Yukiko looked down guilitly. "I never ever dropped a box filled with china plates."

"I never ever dressed up as a boy for a play."

"_What?_"Amagi and Satonaka were startled. Yui looked embarrassed.

"It's not that big of a deal..." She muttered. "It was a minor part. I was one of the background characters. It was in middle school anyway..."

"But how did you hide your hair?

Yukiko nodded. "Yes. You have long hair like me. How did you hide it so well?"

"Actually, I had to get a haircut. I had hair that looked like Chie's for a while afterwards."

"Wait, are you saying I look like a guy?" Chie shifted forward.

Yui shook her head quickly. "No, no. It's that my hair grew out really slowly, so it ended up kinda short for a while."

Chie seemed to accept this. "Okay, well, I never ever broke a punching bag by kicking it."

"I never ever did a photo shoot."

Chie looked in awe at her raven-haired friend. "Wow, Yukiko! You did a photo shoot?"

"That's so cool!" Yui leaned forward.

Amagi frowned. "It's not that cool. In fact, I almost told the photographer to stuff it several times." The air became tense. "He was very intrusive."

"You're really patient. I probably would've punched him." Yui said.

Chie snorted. "He would've deserved it."

They laughed and carried on.

-...-

_At the boys' tent..._

-...-

"Well, shit." Yosuke groaned. "First day of camp and we end up eating the terribly poisonous Mystery Food X."

"That's what we're calling it?" Mogura smirked. "Maybe we should call it 'Mystery Food XX'."

"Shut up. Just because you're immune to it doesn't mean you can gloat."

The blind boy leaned back. "Hey. Being a Persona-user has its benefits. Especially one with ailment resistance."

"Even after eating the food from Aiya's, I can still taste that crap." Yosuke growled. He turned to the colossal freshman to the right of him. "How'd the food taste on your end, Kanji?"

Tatsumi shrugged and flipped open a switchblade, which he polished with his school athletic jacket. "Not great. I coulda' used some of that takeout ya bought." He put down the knife. "By the way, thanks for letting me stay with you guys. I really appreciate it, ya know?"

"Whatever." Mogura yawned. "I'm going to bed."

"Yeah, it's fine, Kanji. Just so long as you don't, you know... _Do _anything." Yosuke said pointedly.

"Do anything?" Kanji blushed. "What the heck do ya mean by that?"

"Oh, come on... You know what I mean. Does the word 'Shadow' mean anything to you?"

Kanji shook his head wildly. "No, no, no! I-I'm not like that! I-I conquered my Shadow, right?"  
>"Please shut up, you guys. I want to sleep."<p>

"No. I want to know that I'm safe in this tent." Yosuke crossed his arms. "Prove to me that you don't swing that way."

Kanji thought for a second, then stood up. "You know what? I will prove it."

"Now what?" Mogura sat up in his sleeping bag.

Kanji threw his jacket on the ground and cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna hit the girl's tent. Then you'll see."  
>Inja felt around for his blindman's staff alarmingly."What? Are you crazy?"<p>

"Go for it, man!" Yosuke grinned. "This oughta be good."

"Don't encourage him! Kanji, you can't just go to the girl's tents! You'll be expelled!"

But Kanji wasn't listening. He broke through the tent door and headed towards the girl's camp at a full sprint. Mogura stumbled out behind him. "Kanji, wait!"

-...-

_At the girls' tent... _

-...-

"Dang... This is hard..." Chie tapped her chin. "Umm... I never ever made bento?"

"I remember that. It didn't taste very good." Yukiko looked down. "In fact, the principal made you throw it away about thirty seconds after you opened it."

"Huh?" Yui sat up. "What was that noise?"

"What?" Chie got to attention as well. "I don't hear anything..."

"It sounds like footsteps!" Yui said.

Yukiko nodded. "Now I hear it, too! But it sounds like somebody's yelling as well..."

"It's coming toward us!" Chie yelped, getting into a crouching defensive posture.

The footsteps grew louder and faster as time went on. Yui grabbed a flashlight, while Yukiko pulled out one of her fans.

"Alright! When it tries to come in, we launch an All-Out-Attack!" Yui whispered.

Both of the other girls nodded.

"I... LOVE... WOMEN!" A hulking figure burst into the tent.

"Now!" Yui swung her flashlight, cracking the intruder on the skull.

"Ow! Dammit!" The target clutched his head.

"It will all end here!" Yukiko landed a flurry of strikes before Yui rammed her flashlight in the enemy's solar plexus as hard as she could. With a howl of pain, the attacker collapsed on his back. However, a second set of footsteps followed the first.

"One more!"

"Let me handle this!" Chie stretched her legs. "Galactic..."

The tent door opened again, but this time the figure was shorter and thinner. "Kanji, are you alright?"

"...PUNT!" Chie swung her leg its full distance, catching the enemy right in the gut and sending him flying. There was a loud cry and a huge _thump_ outside.

Yui turned the flashlight on and realized what had happened. Kanji lay on the floor, light cuts all over his face as he wallowed in pain.

"Um, guys, you might want to look at this..."

The other two girls gathered around the fallen boy.

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko cried. "What on earth were you doing?"

Tatsumi was still disoriented. "Mrrrrp... I did it, you guys... seee?"

Chie stepped over Kanji to look at the other boy. "Mogura's out here, too!"

"Is that... Chie?" Mogura groaned. "Goddammit..."

"Yeah, it's me! What the hell were you guys doing, charging into our tent like that?" Chie was quite angry at the two boys.

"Trying... to stop... Kanji... Failed... Badly..." Mogura gasped for breath and slowly began to stand up. Yui was taking the time to drag Kanji out of the tent. He slowly began to regain his bearings.

"Wha- huh? What am I..." He sat up and looked around. "Oh... Hah!" He looked at Mogura. "Take that! Now who's weird, huh?"

"What?" Yukiko asked.

Mogura brushed off his pants."It's a long story. I'm gonna kill Yosuke when we get back to..."

"HEY!"

Everyone jumped.

"Is that Mooroka?"

"Whadda ya bruts bein' so loud fer?" Mooroka sounded even less 'together' than usual. "Ya horny lil' basturds oughtta be in bud! Sepaeraetely!"

"Shit." Mogura felt around on the ground for his staff. "Kanji, we need to get gone."

The girls had moved back into their tent.

"Wait!" Kanji grabbed at the flap opening. "Let us in!"

"What?" Chie asked. "After what you did? No way!"

"There's no time!" Kanji whispered. "Mooroka is gonna catch us!"

Yukiko turned to Yui. "What do you think? You're the leader, after all."

"Let 'em stay out there." Yui zipped the tent shut.

"WHAT?" Kanji tried to pull at the zipper, but it was no use.

"Sorry, guys. You're on your own."

"If you weren't girls, I'd..."

"I thouht I tuld yah guys to gah tuh bed!" Mooroka babbled.

"Is... Is he _drunk_?" Mogura was still tottering from the kick.

Kanji grabbed Mogura by the collar. "Never mind that! Let's go!"

"Come buck her, ya -hic- brats!"

Inside the tent, the girls lay in their sleeping bags and listened to the screaming and cursing. Yui shook her head and drifted off into sleep.

-...-

July 18, 2011

Yasogami High Camping Trip

Common Camp

The next morning, the girls were going down to breakfast when they heard a familiar scream. But it wasn't from Mogura or Kanji.

"Shit, shit, shit, MOVE!" An auburn and blue blur shoved Chie out of the way.

"Hey! What the hell?" Chie turned to see Yosuke running at a full sprint.

"Get back here!" Kanji brushed the other two girls aside. Yukiko yelped and tensed herself as Mogura came hurling right after the blonde delinquent. "My apologies, whoever. Yosuke, you are a dead man!"

All three girls were stunned for a second.

"Maybe we should go after them." Yui said, taking off towards the boys. Yukiko and Chie looked at each other and ran after their leader.

"Whatever. Maybe we can see Yosuke finally get his comeuppance."

"That's a harsh way to put it, Chie... But you're right." Yukiko's smile turned uncharacteristically vicious. "Maybe he'll get what's coming to him for teasing me."

Meanwhile, Yosuke had been cornered. Mogura and Kanji stood on either side of him, and there was a small cliff overhanging the river. "Uh... What's up, guys?"

They glared at him angrily.

"Look, I know I told Kanji to prove himself as a man, and I did encourage him to hit the girls' tent... But you guys brought that on yourselves!"

Hanamura tried to turn around and jump, but Kanji grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him down.

"Yeah, and you brought THIS on YOURself!" Tatsumi grabbed him by the arms and yelled. "Mogura! Grab his legs!"

"Sure."

Yosuke struggled against his captors. "Hey! Whaddaya gonna do?"

"Whaddaya think we're gonna do?"

"Please, no! I'll do anything! I'm sorry!"

"Mogura! You ready?"

"Aye!"

"Please, no! Huh?"

The two boys began to swing Yosuke back and forth like he was in a hammock.

"Ready, Kanji?"

Yui ran up to the clearing, with Yukiko and Chie right behind her.

"Ready!"

"What are you guys doing?" Yukiko looked confused.

"One!"

The grey-haired girl ran up. "Hold on!"

"Two!"

"Hey, wait!" Yosuke cried.

"THREE!"

The two boys let go of Yosuke, sending him hurling over the cliff and into the river. The auburn-haired boy realized his predicament and started waving his arms around wildly, hoping to somehow regain his coordination. "No, no, no... AUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH H!"

As Hanamura hung in the air, Mogura quipped, "I hope he doesn't land on rocks."

Thankfully, only the sound of crashing water resounded in the ears of those standing by. Sputtering and flailing around, Yosuke stood up and glared at his friends.

"Thanks, jerks! Now my camp jacket is freezing!" Yosuke began to wade toward the cliff, shaking his head like a soaked dog.

"Now there's only one more thing to do... Right, Chie?" Yui smiled, but there was a sharpness in her voice.

There was a moment of silence before Chie shifted her weight to her front foot. "Yeah..." The brunette made eye contact with the grey-haired girl, and the plan was set into play.

Suddenly, Mogura made a realization. "Kanji, move!"

"Huh? What?"

But it was too late. Kanji turned around just in time to get hit in the chest by Yui, and Mogura failed to escape Chie's push. Kanji reflexively grabbed his attacker and dragged her in as well.

"Son of a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-"

Yosuke looked up to see Mogura tumble on top of him. They both went underwater, followed by Kanji and Yui.

Mogura was the first to stand up before stepping aside. Yosuke burst from the water, gasping. At this point he was livid, and started pelting Mogura with punches.

"What the hell, dude? You already soaked me... What more do you want?"

Mogura grabbed Yosuke and hit him over the head with his staff. "What more? You cost me a good night's sleep! I had to sit in a tree for hours as a drunk guy yelled all around me! I could have been expelled!"

By this time, Kanji had stood up, with Yui face-to face with him. Realizing his position, Kanji jumped up and turned to the side, blushing. "S-sorry!"

Yui sighed, wrung out her hair, and made to leave the river.

"Great. You guys are idiots." She turned toward the two other boys. "Stop fighting already. It's over."

The two boys put their fists down and waded towards the cliff. All this time, Yukiko had been laughing so hard she could barely stand.

-...-

Everyone helped pick trash off the assigned hill, working almost nonstop until the sun met the horizon. The teenagers groaned and dragged themselves back to the camp. Yui was walking alone, trying to straighten out her hair, when Kanji started walking alongside her. She looked up at him, but he was looking away.

"Sup." He turned to face his senpai. "What's up with you?"

"My back hurts. How about you?"

"Not really. Listen, I want to apologize for breaking into your tent last night."

She shrugged. "Whatever. Yosuke did goad you on."

"'Whatever'? That- That's not good enough, dammit!" Kanji balked. He scratched his head and said, "I-It's not like I'm not grateful for you forgiving me, but I want you... I want you to understand that I shouldn't have done that anyway!" He blushed and looked away. "I... I need to watch what I do like that."

Yui nodded. "I forgive you anyway. We did beat you pretty badly, so I'm not gonna push it." She sighed. "But you need to work on your temper."

"How? By ignoring it when punks start pissing me off? That's just letting them walk over me!"

"No... By understanding them. If you know where they come from, you might be able to calm yourself down more easily. You can see things from their perspective."

"Tch." Kanji looked upwards, slowing down. "Man, you're really good at that."

Yui stopped. "At what?"

"Understanding people, y'know." He quit walking and looked at Yui directly. "You're like, the only girl that really understands me. It's really cool of you."

There was an awkward pause between the two.

"Wait! That's not what I- Urrgh... I just wanted to show my appreciation... No, I, uh, think you're really..." He started mumbling incomprehensively, blushing, and looking away from Yui.

"Kanji?" Yui stepped towards the blonde boy. "What do you... What do you really think of me?" Her cheeks colored slightly.

Kanji looked like he was about to blow up. "Stop- Stop lookin' at me like that! I can't think with you doing that!"

"Hey, Kanji!" Yosuke began to walk towards the pair, followed by the rest. "King Moron is pretty much out of it, so everyone thinks we're gonna have a little get-together while he's fast asleep. You two in?"

"S-Sure, why not?" Tatsumi quickly changed the topic. "I mean, we did bust ass today. Why not take a break, y'know?"

Yosuke looked perplexed, and Yukiko stepped back in shock.

"K-Kanji! Your nose is bleeding!"

"Huh?" He quickly moved to cover it, turning around and brushing past Yui. "S-See you guys at the party!"

Mogura looked even more confused than Yosuke, but Chie looked slightly impressed.

The American's eyebrow raised. "I don't get it."

Yui shoved her hands in her pockets and plodded toward the campsite. "Forget it."

-...-

July 22, 2011

After School

Shopping District

When the camping trip had come to a close, there was a huge ruckus in Inaba. Yui's phone rang.

"Hiya, Chie. What's up?"

"_What's up? Hiro Kujikawa is coming back to Inaba!"_ Chie squealed.

Yui blinked. "Hiro... who?"

Chie balked in disbelief. _"Are you completely out of touch or something? Hiro__-kun__ is that redheaded heartthrob that sings like a dream. How do you not know him?"_

"I guess I don't listen to a lot of music... But... I didn't know you were into guy singers, Chie."

"_Shut up. Anyway, he's coming back to Inaba to take a break from show biz."_

Yui stopped walking for a second. "Really?"

"_Yeah, I heard he's gonna be a first__-year at our school."_  
>"That seems a bit young to be a heartthrob, if you ask me. What is he, fifteen?"<p>

"_But he's super cute! And like I said before, he's got the greatest voice."_

Chie actually sounded really excited about his arrival. _Maybe I should look into this,_ Yui thought. _After all, he's probably gonna make a big splash when he arrives. He might be the next target._

"Alright, sure. When's he gonna arrive?"

"Supposedly he's in today, at the tofu shop his family owns. We should check it out, you know."

"Whatever. I'll go over there soon." Yui ended the call.

-...-

Kujikawa Tofu Shop

Yui came to the tofu shop, finding that Yukiko and Chie were already there. There was a small crowd of almost all girls waiting outside the tofu shop, all chattering about their favorite idol.

Yukiko turned to face Yui. "Ah! Yui-san! You came here too?" She smiled. "Isn't it great we finally get to meet such a great singer?"

"Yeah. Chie told me about it on our way here. I don't know very much about him, really. What do you know?"

"Um... I know that he's a good singer, and I listen to some of his songs... He has red hair, right?" Amagi shifted uncomfortably.

"Yukiko, you too?" Chie sighed. "He's about medium height, has short red hair, brown eyes, and is pretty thin."

Yukiko looked impressed. "Wow, Chie. I didn't know you knew so much about him. But I've never heard you listen to his music at all... So how?"

"I, uh, watch his concerts on TV, that's all. I-I do listen to his music. I do!" Satonaka looked off to the side, twirling one of the arms of her green jacket, which she had tied around her waist.

"They have televised concerts?" Yui asked. "I thought you had to pay to see singers live."

"Well, I saw him on TV once! So there!" Chie barked defensively.

Yukiko blinked in confusion. "Only once? But you said you saw lots of his concerts."

"Well, I..."

"Chie, are you sure you don't just follow him because you think he looks good?" Yui asked, putting her hands on her waist.

Satonaka held her arms tightly to her chest."NO! Wha-Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The fact that you can tell us what he looks like from memory?" Yukiko mumbled.

Before Chie began to respond, Ryotaro Dojima exited the building and started waving people away.

"Come on, come on, let's go. Just because a pop idol's family is here doesn't mean you can swarm the place. If you're not gonna buy tofu, then get outta here!" Girls started flowing away from the store, grumbling and whispering amongst themselves.

"What? We don't get to see Hiro-kun?"

"That's stupid..."

"Whatever. We can see him later."

Yui's uncle started walking toward the trio, and Satonaka began to look nervous.

She poked Yui in the ribs. "Psst... I don't know anything about tofu. Give me something to work with!"

Yui's brow wrinkled. "I dunno, ganmodoki?"

"Sure. Thanks."

Ryotaro walked up to them, a limp in his step. "Hey. Are all of you actually here to buy tofu?"

Chie burst forward, a bit _too_ excited. "Yeah! I came to get some ganmodoki."

Yukiko stepped forward. "Ah... I simply came by to help Chie. She doesn't know much about tofu, and I buy for my family all the time."

"Yukiko!"

"But it's true... you're getting fried tofu with vegetables mixed in. That doesn't sound like something you'd normally choose."

"What? No, I'm not!...Am I?"

"That's what ganmodoki is..." Yukiko muttered.

"It is?" Chie turned to Yui. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Because it tastes good to me. And you should eat more than just meat, you know..."

"But I love meat! Don't they have meat-flavored tofu or something?"

Ryotaro sighed. "Normally, people get tofu because they don't like to eat certain types of meat."

Chie looked down, frustrated.

"You could try Mado Dofu... But you'd probably have to make it yourself, because it's Chinese." Yui scratched her chin.

"Whatever, just make sure you don't bother Hiro if you do see him." Dojima shook his head. "Oh, and while you're in there, get us something to eat, Yui. I forgot because I was stopping the flow of fangirls, and I really need to get back to the station." He shifted his weight and looked away. "Adachi's trial is coming up soon, so this stupid case might just get wrapped up."

"Wait, what about Kanji?"

Ryotaro looked startled. "Kanji?"

Yui nodded. "Kanji Tatsumi. He went missing for a few days, right?"

The detective slumped. "Knowing him, he probably just got caught up in something. He's safe now, and that's what really matters." He turned back to Yui. "Just make sure he doesn't get in any trouble, right?"

"Right." Yui smiled. "Don't work yourself too hard, Uncle."

Dojima looked distant. "I won't have to, much longer."

-...-

The girls walked into the tofu shop and looked around. Chie was glum, due to tofu's lack of meaty goodness. However, all three of them were surprised to see a familiar face at the buying counter.

"Mogura-san?" Yukiko stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

"Buying tofu. Did you come here to do something else?"

There was a muttering as the cashier handed Mogura his change.

"Thanks." He put the coins through his hands, concentrating as if to check them.

Yui stepped toward the blind boy. "Hey, Mogura. Did you hear the news?"

"You mean the news about the teenage pop star that no female under the age of eighteen besides Aiya's delivery girl will stop talking, daydreaming, or otherwise fangirling about for a duration of more than fifteen minutes? Yes, I have heard."

The figure behind the counter stopped and turned around angrily. He shoved Mogura, making the older boy drop his change on the floor.

"Hey!" Mogura slammed his palm on the counter. "What the hell was that for?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" The voice was certainly masculine, but it was relatively soft and had a higher pitch than usual.

Suddenly, Chie grabbed Mogura by the shoulder and pulled him back. "Wait a minute..."

A redhead wearing a food worker's uniform had his teeth gritted and fists balled behind the counter.

"...You're Hiro Kujikawa, aren't you?"

The boy's expression softened a bit, but in sadness rather than calm. "Yeah. What's it to you?"

"We wanted to talk to you about something." Yui came forward and dropped some coins in Mogura's hand. "Here's that money you dropped."

"Yes." Yukiko nodded. "Lately, some strange things have been going on in Inaba lately, so we just wanted to warn you to look out for anything weird."

Hiro's fists dropped, and he fiddled with something behind the counter. "If you're talking about the Midnight Channel, it's okay. I already know about it."  
>All of the Investigation Team members tensed up.<p>

"You do?" Yui asked.

"Yeah. But I don't think my soulmate wears a long black cloak and a hood." He laughed. "That would be one creepy girlfriend."

"You saw something on it?" Mogura asked. "The Midnight Channel?"

"Yeah. I watched it last night. But I didn't know what to make of it. It was too weird, you know? By the way, sorry for getting angry at you earlier. It's just..." He sank into a distracted irritation.

"Yeah. Me, too. Being an idol must be a bit of a bother sometimes. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Anyway..." Chie leaned over the counter. "Do you sell Mado Dofu... Whatever that tofu with meat in it is?"

"Um... That depends... I don't remember if we sell that ready-to cook. I'll check."

"But you do?" Chie beamed.

"I'll look, but you'll need to cook it at home, even if we do have what you need. Just make sure it doesn't spoil, okay..."

Yui coughed. "But, seriously. We've had a lot of stuff lately, so just keep an eye out. By the way, could I get a single order for silken tofu?"

"Yeah, whatever. That detective guy said the same thing. To watch out, I mean, not for that order." Hiro had begun to move around the shop, checking labels and taking different foods out of the bins that were lined up throughout the store.

"You mean Dojima?" The gray-haired girl looked up.

"I think that's what his name was. Why?"

"He's my uncle."

"Huh." Hiro pulled together a bag and walked back toward the other four teenagers. "This'll be about 1100 yen." He handed Yui her bag. "This is 600 yen."

"Really?" Chie sighed. "Well, I guess it is a lot of ingredients..."

"You're still going to have to cook it, though." Hiro handed Chie the bag and bowed. "Have a nice day."

-...-

"That went well..." The four were walking back to the residential area, Mogura following slightly behind the three girls. Yui stood in front, and had begun the discussion.

"Yeah... We got to meet Hiro-kun and got a hint about the Midnight Channel." Chie held up her bag. "Plus, I got some tofu, too."

Yukiko looked down. "I'm surprised. I thought he would be the one to show up on the Midnight Channel, being so famous and all. But that stuff he said about a cloaked figure couldn't mean him... could it?"

Yui shrugged. "Weirder stuff has shown up. Maybe it is him and we just can't tell. After all, we haven't even seen the Midnight Channel 'live' lately."

Suddenly, rain began to drop, startling the three girls.

"I guess we'll find out, then." Chie said. "Do you guys have an umbrella?"

"No." Yui said. "I didn't think it would rain today."

"We'd better hurry, then." Yukiko said. "There are umbrellas at the Inn that you can borrow."

"Here."Yui turned around to see Mogura handing her an open umbrella.

"What? But you need an umbrella, too."

Mogura shook his head. "It's one of the ones I borrowed from the Inn, like Yukiko said. As long as we're heading there, I'll be fine."

"Well, um..."

The blind boy's face twisted in irritation. "Just take the umbrella, okay? If you don't take it, we're both- we're_all_ gonna get wet."

Yui took the umbrella and held it over herself and the other two girls before speaking again. "You should get under the umbrella, too."

"Huh?" Inja looked down. "Well, I-I dunno if all four of us can fit under it."

"Let's try."

Mogura blushed slightly before regaining his composure. "A-Alright."

"Will you stop gawking around and get under the umbrella already?" Chie growled. "The rain is getting heavier, and we need to go!"

"Yes, please." Yukiko said. "I'm sorry, but my shoes are almost soaked as we are."

"Well, excuse me, ladies." Mogura murmured.

They shared a very vibrant discussion on the way to the Amagi Inn.

-...-

That evening, Yui sat at the table with Dojima and Nanako. There was a kind of awkward silence as the rain pattered down on the roof outside.

"Wow! This tofu is really good!" Nanako smiled.

Yui nodded. "Yeah, it is. I don't think I've ever had tofu like this."

"That's one of the bonuses of living in a small town like this. People put a lot of time and personal work into the things they make." Dojima finished his meal and put his bowl on the table.

Suddenly, the TV blared on. _"It was confirmed today that Hiro Kujikawa has, in fact, returned to his __family's residence in Inaba, where they run a traditional tofu shop. The police have had to clear people out, as large crowds of his fans thronged the area after his arrival."_

Nanako sat up. "Big Sis, did you get to see Hiro-kun?"

"Um... Yeah..."

"Was he as cool as everyone says he is?"  
>"Um..." Yui hesitated before answering. "He's very nice, but he doesn't really want to talk to people right now. He's kind of trying to rest from having to deal with his job in show business right now."<p>

Dojima nodded. "As much as you'd like to see him, Nanako, we need to respect his privacy. You wouldn't like people to bother you all the time, would you?"

Nanako looked down. "I guess." She perked up. "But this tofu is still really good!"

-...-

Night

Yui checked to see if it was still raining, and so it was. She turned around and sat to wait until midnight clicked down. As she leaned forward, static began to buzz from the TV screen, and an image began to form, like all the other times. If she looked closely, she could make out someone's face, but the body was cloaked in all black. She squinted, and something caught her eye. The person was wearing a cap...

"A food service cap!" Yui pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the screen before her. Suddenly, the screen cut to entirely black, and then turned off entirely.

Quickly, the grey-haired girl set out a call to Chie. As soon as the call connected, she knew for sure who the victim was going to be.

"It's Hiro for sure."

"You think so too?" Satonaka sounded quite up and awake.

"No. I know so. Hiro Kujikawa is going to be the next victim."

-...-

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: BREAKING AN IDOL**

"_C'mon, clear out already...__"_

"I said _forget about it_!

"It was definitely him.. so why would that be?_"_

**"Something is definitely wrong!_"_**


	15. Chapter 14: Breaking an Idol

Author's Note: Sorry for making you guys wait a hella-long time for an update, but school has really been a monkey on my back this year. Spoilers: The plot twist doesn't happen this chapter. Sorry, but yeah. /Author's Note

Hiro Kujikawa looked around the nearly-bare store as he swept aimlessly. Nothing but containers of tofu and other additives could be seen inside the fairly bleak walls of the store. He sighed and pulled off his cap, tossing it in the nearly-full trash bin. Tying the garbage bag ad bringing it outside, he studied the nearly noiseless small town for a few seconds before going back in.

When he came into his room, he was surprised to see a bundle sitting on his bed. It was labeled, 'From the Amagi Inn'. He opened it and was stunned to find a coupon for a free night in the inn. Guilt passed over his face as he set the tickets aside, but what he saw next startled him. The main package contained a poster of him and nothing else.

As he unrolled it, his more somber expression twisted and changed. He grabbed both ends of the poster as hard as he could and pulled, but nothing happened. He then folded the poster up and crushed it in his hands before throwing it in his room's wastebasket. Crumpling onto his futon, he fought back tears before eventually falling asleep.

-...-

-Persona 4-

**Episode 14: Breaking an Idol **

_Courage- Daring_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Touching_

_Understanding- Generous_

_Diligence- Strong_

-Persona 4-

-...-

Yui was walking to school when a boy wearing a hoodie brushed past her. Muttering an apology, the boy began to sprint, causing Yui to wonder who it could be. However, despite his attempts to remain inconspicuous, it soon became obvious through people's reactions that it was Hiro. About halfway through the day, Yui heard rumors spreading about Kujikawa already. There was a pair of girls chattering at the door as Yui ate her bento on the roof.

"Did you hear that Hiro-san is actually coming to our school?"

"I know! Isn't that awesome?"

"I heard he's actually really shy!" A third girl chirped.

"Isn't that cute? And that hoodie he wears is so adorable!"

Yui sighed and continued to eat her lunch. She glanced around and saw Yosuke moping around half-spiritedly. Walking over, she sat next to him, causing him to look up.

"Oh, hi. What's up?" He looked at the box she was carrying. "Man, that looks really good. Um..." He smirked. "I forgot my lunch... So, can I have some? Please?"

Yui tapped her chin teasingly. "I don't know... Maybe. If you ask politely."

"What? I already said 'please'. What more do you want?"

"I want you to call me 'Yui-sama'." Yui smiled.

Yosuke balked. "WHAT? Hell no!"

"Then no bento for you."

"Aw, come on..." He groaned. "Fine... Yui-sama, may I please have some of your lunch? Come on... I'm starving here!"

"Well, I would give you some... If there was any left..."

"What?" Yosuke slumped. "You can be a real jerk, you know that?"

Yui laughed ans pulled a smaller box out from her backpack. "Just kidding. I made some extra, so I thought I should bring it if someone else got hungry."

"Oh, thank God." Yosuke grabbed the box and began scarfing its contents. "I take it back. You're a real lifesaver, Yui-_san_." He himself smirked.

"No problem, Yosuke-_chan._"

"What? Why do I get '-chan?'" He put the now empty box down and crossed his arms.

"Because you ate that entire bento without even breaking the chopsticks."

"Oh, whoops." he held up his hands to see the sauce and rice stuck on them. "Dammit, now I've gotta wash my hands."

"I swear, sometimes I worry about you."

"Oh, shut up."

-...-

"C'mon, clear out already. Can't ya see he doesn't wanna talk to you?"

Kanji was shooing a group of chattering girls away from Kujikawa. Hiro himself was trying to squeak by, hidden behind the larger, hulking figure. Looking for an openin g, he whispered something to Kanji and ran off as quickly as he could. Yui walked up to Kanji.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, hi, Senpai. I, um, had to help this guy. He looked like he had a problem with all those girls following him..." He looked at Yui warily. "You're not plannin' on going after him too, are ya?"

Yui nodded."We still need to watch him. With all these people around him, anyone could throw him into the TV World."

"But isn't that stalkin' or something? He's had enough of people watching him, y'know." Kanji sighed. "Whatever. So long as you don't bother him or anything like that."

Yui promised and chatted with Kanji a bit before going to look for Hiro.

-...-

Surprisingly, she found him in a completely unexpected place. He was crouching by the Samegawa and staring into the water when she stirred him by walking up from behind. He quickly got to his feet and turned around.

"Huh? Oh, you're one of the girls who bought tofu, right?" His face dropped. "So what do you want? An autograph?"

She shook her head. "I'd like to talk."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"Kanji told me people were really bothering you."

"Yeah, but I get that all the time." Hiro smirked. "Comes with being an idol."

Yui sat down besides the river. "You said something about the Midnight Channel yesterday. How'd you learn about it?"

Hiro picked up a rock and tried to skip it across the river. It dropped into the water with a _plop_. "Rumors, mostly. Those ones that weren't about me, that is."

"You seem bitter about being an idol." Yui sat up.

The boy snorted. "No shit. I don't get to..." He stopped mid-sentence.

"You don't get to what?"

"Never mind..."

"No. I want to know what's bothering you."

"I said never mind."

"Did something happen?"

"I said _never mind_!" Hiro burst out. "Geez, you don't know when to give up, do you?"

He began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Yui asked.

"Home." Hiro pulled up his hoodie and walked away. "Don't follow me."

"Why would you think I would?" the grey-haired girl cried out.

Kujikawa didn't respond.

-...-

"So, about what we saw on the Midnight Channel..." Yui put her drink down. "I think we can all safely say that was Hiro."

"No, not really. I couldn't tell who it was at all." Mogura sighed. "They didn't say anything, and the description you gave me is vague enough, anybody around that frame size could be the victim."

"But he was wearing one of those food service caps. That means it has to be him, right?"

Yukiko shifted. "Uh, Chie... I don't think so. Nakamura wears those caps as well."

"You mean that girl who delivers for Aiya? Now that you say that, yeah, she does." Yosuke snapped his fingers. "But why would the culprit try to kidnap a delivery girl when a pop star has just come to town?"

Kanji shrugged. "Maybe he thinks that the police are gonna be all distracted, so he has a better chance. Besides. Who the hell'd try to kill someone like Hiro?"

Yui coughed. "We can't cover everyone who fits that description. However, we do know that only those that get media recognition get kidnapped." She took a sip of soda before continuing. "So it's probably Hiro. We still need to check about Aika, though, because she may appear in some ads."

Mogura looked aside. "So are we just gonna split up... Some to look after Hiro and some to stay at Aiya's?"

"That seems cool. Whaddaya say, Leader?" Kanji turned to Yui.

"Yeah. Now. How to split up..." She tapped her chin. "We need two people at least to go to Aiya's. Mogura might be good, but... I have to be with the larger team, and I can't think of anyone that could go with you. Kanji could go with you... But..." She grimaced.

Kanji frowned. "What? You don't trust me? I can be calm and shit if I want. I just need something to eat. We are gonna be at a restaurant, so I can just keep an eye on Aika by ordering stuff. She's the only waitress, right? No prob."

"Alright, fine." Yui sighed. "Just report every thirty minutes or if Aika disappears."

-...-

"So... donuts or sweets?" Yosuke held up two boxes. (d)

"Donuts." Chie said. "Like police officers."

Yui laughed. "It's funny. They use that stereotype so often, but I've never seen my uncle eat a single doughnut."

"Yeah. But doughnuts it is." He paid for the powdered confections before they made their way over to the Kujikawa tofu shop. When they got over to their stakeout area, they found Kujikawa sweeping the entrance. As soon as he saw them, he quickly went inside and out of sight.

"So we're just gonna wait here?" Chie asked.

"Yep." Yui said.

"How long?"

"As long as we need to, I guess." Yosuke sighed. "Oh well... May as well crack open the snacks."

"What? Now? We've barely started!" Chie snatched the confections away from Yosuke. "Gimme those, you pig!"

"Fine, geez. So, Yui... You checked up on Kanji and Mogura yet?"

"Nah. There's no way they could get themselves into trouble so soon."

"If you say so."

-...-

"I spy... with my little eye..." Yui looked around. "Something green."

"Chie's sweatshirt." Yosuke leaned back on a telephone pole.

"Yosuke, you've said the same thing about anything not black, grey, or purple." Chie sighed.

"What, no I haven't."

"Yes, you have." Satonaka cleared her throat and began to imitate her dopey friend. "'Red.' 'That button on Chie's sweatshirt.' 'Blue.' 'That little stripe on the button.' 'Yellow.' 'Chie's sweatshirt!' What the hell is so interesting about my sweater?"

"Maybe it's not the sweatshirt but who's wearing it." Yui tapped her chin teasingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "No. It's just because she's the only colorful object here for, like, half a mile. Besides, can I have those donuts now?"

"No."

"Sheesh."

-...-

After about half an hour of unfruitful hovering, a buzzing came from Yui's pocket. It was Mogura's phone number. She paled instantly. Yosuke caught a glimpse of caller ID and smirked.

"So much for that."

Yui ran her hand through her hair, miffed. "Shut up." She accepted the call. "Hello?"

"Well, I... Or should I say Kanji, has some explaining to do."

The grey-haired girl sighed. "Go on."

-...-

TEN MINUTES AGO

Aiya's Chinese Diner

Kanji was on the edge of finishing everything he had ordered. As he was chewing down the last bits of rice, he stared over at the waitress, who saw him and looked back. She tilted her head, as if analyzing him. Since this exchange had gone on for quite some time, Tatsumi just ground his jaw and looked back at his food, placing the empty bowl off to the side. There it found its way besides two others.

"Shit, Kanji." Mogura muttered. "Did you just finish that bowl already?"

"Yeah. So what? I'm hungry."

"We've only been here twenty minutes and you've scarfed down three nikudons. Maybe you should pace yourself."

"Maybe you should mind your own damn business." Kanji looked back over to Aika, but was surprised to see her hanging over him. She was holding out a small business card with both hands.

"Here."

Kanji took the card and turned it over. What he saw mortified him.

"Kanji, are you okay?"

"Ah... Uh..." Tatsumi's face colored.

"I thought you might want this." Aika bowed. "Thank you for your patronage."

"Eh... Ieep..." Kanji stared at her in disbelief as she walked away.

"Kanji? What did she do?" Mogura stood up.

As the waitress returned to her job, Kanji's face fell to the table. "She gave me..."

"She gave you what?"

Kanji coughed in pain. "Her... number..."

It took five minutes for Mogura to stop laughing.

-...-

Yui sighed. "What is with you guys and that place? Are you cursed or something?"

"Whatever. He couldn't stand looking at her after that, so we left."

"WHAT?" Yui's face went from stunned to angry to confused in two seconds. "Where are you guys now?"

"Right by the tofu shop."

Yui looked around. "I don't see you guys anywhere."

"What, really?" Mogura lowered his phone. "Kanji, where are we?"

The blonde-haired punk looked up in surprise. "I dunno. I thought you were leading."

"Yeah, but we should be at the tofu shop now. Where are we?"

Kanji looked up. "We're right next to a MOEL."

"You mean a gas station?" Mogura put his hand in his pocket for a second and sighed. "Dammit. I forgot my GPS. It's freaking impossible to remember where everywhere is."

"Whatever. We'll just wander around until we find them."

"You sound so sure of yourself."

"Look, just get over here before something happens." Yui looked around. "I have a feeling the killer's gonna show up soon."

"Alright, fine."

-...-

Even after Kanji and Mogura finally made their way to the tofu shop, nothing seemed to happen. In fact, everything seemed to be normal. They lazed about for the next hour and a half, Yosuke even falling asleep at one point.

Everyone stirred when Hiro's grandmother walked outside and looked around.

"Are you kids looking for Hiro?"

Yui stood upright and cleared her throat. "Yes, Ma'am."

She looked worried. "Have you seen him? I haven't seen him since he took a break about a half-hour ago. He does walk out sometimes."

"What?"

"Yes. He's very tired from his performances, so he often walks down to the river or another place to get away from people. "She looked at the group sadly. "Please don't disturb him. He's had to talk to lots of people so long that I'm afraid he's gotten quite sick of it. He doesn't even like to talk to me."

"Alright..." Yosuke turned to the rest of the group. "Maybe we should go home. This is going nowhere."

"Okay. Let's go. We shouldn't bother Mrs. Kujikawa any more than we have to."

As they were walking back, Yui turned to the rest of the Team. "The Midnight Channel is on tonight, so everyone needs to get their homework done and watch. Got tha-oomph!"

Yui looked down to see a small figure in a familiar hoodie step back in apology. "S-sorry..." Hiro stared at the group for a second and then began to run around them. However, he was cut off by Kanji, who grabbed his fellow freshman's hood and pulled on it to bring the boy to an abrupt halt.

"Hey! Let me go!" Hiro jerked around like a fish on a line.

"Not yet. You seen any creeps around here?"

"Other than you, no! Now let me go!"

"I ain't no creep! You'll pay for that, you-"

"Let him go." Yukiko stepped forward and removed Kanji's hand from Hiro. The relieved redhead shrugged to return his clothing to its regular bent before running off again.

The whole Investigation Team simply watched him run before hovering awkwardly.

"Well, that was productive." Mogura muttered, holding up an empty package. "Nice doughnuts, by the way."

Yosuke did a double-take."You bastard! So you were the one who ate them!"

"Let's just get home, alright?"

-...-

"Welcome."

Yui sat up as the Midnight Channel buzzed to life. The image was much clearer, but surprisingly, Yui could now tell less about the victim than before. His...or her... back was turned. Although the cloak from last time remained, none of the face or front figure could be seen at all, much less clearly.

"So you've come watching this to see Hiro-kun." A distorted, robotically manipulated voice poured from the television.

Yui leaned forward. How did he know they were looking for Kujikawa? Could this be the culprit?

A large stone statue of the famous male idol slid in on a platform. Etched into the bottom was: 'The Childish Idol'.

As the figure held up something small and black, he/she laughed. "Well, I'm afraid you're not going to see him. In fact, I plan to make Hiro-kun disappear... Forever."

Flipping the black object open and pressing the button that appeared, the being in black stood motionless as explosions wracked the stone figure. Where there was formerly an expertly carved figure lay a pile of rubble.

"Stay tuned for the Grand Finale... The death of that Hiro-kun you all pathetically bow before."

The screen blurred out like usual, leaving Yui severely confused.

Her phone rang, and when she picked it up, Yukiko was on the other end.

"Hello, Yui?"

"Yes?"

"Was that... Hiro? It didn't seem like him."

"But he was on the first showing of the Midnight Channel."

"Are you sure that was him that first time? I mean, he was dressed the same way this time, but if he was really Hiro, he wouldn't destroy himself in effigy... Would he?"

"It was definitely him.. so why would that be?" Yui leaned on the television. "It makes no sense... But it could just be his Shadow._"_

"I think it's actually the culprit. He could have hijacked the video this time, even though Hiro showed up last time. It makes sense when you consider his creepy voice."

"Anyways, there's only one thing we know for sure." She looked at the blank television again. "Something is definitely wrong!"

-...-

The next day, Yui saw a buzzing crowd hanging around the school gates. As she approached, Yosuke shoved his way past some people and hurried to meet his friend.  
>"Hey, Yui!" Yosuke bent and coughed before catching his breath. "Hiro didn't show up today!"<p>

Yui helped him stand straight again. "Well, that means he must be in the TV, right?"

"I hope... We need to meet after school for sure."

"Yeah. I'll get Kanji and Mogura. You get Yukiko and Chie."

Yosuke sighed. "Why do I get stuck with all the hard jobs?"

-...-

Junes Food Court

Afternoon

"So, what do we know?"

"Aika was at school a bit, though she did stop to talk to Kanji." Yosuke smirked.

"Will you shut up about that?" Kanji looked like he was going to break Yosuke in half.

"Me? I thought Mogura was the one teasing you."

"Well, whatever, shut up!"

"Anyways, the important thing is that we know Hiro is missing." Chie coughed.

Yukiko looked down. "But that doesn't make sense. We were standing by the whole time, and nobody came in."

"You were standing by the entrance? Did you just expect the criminal to waltz in?" Mogura groaned. "I... From an objective standpoint, it makes no sense to attack someone from the front. You do know that he probably came in the back, right?"

"Well, wouldn't that have been suspicious?" Amagi blinked.

"Not if he wasn't seen."

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Please. Not even I leave the back door open during business hours. Most of the time, that is."

Yui frowned. "So he didn't come in from the front, and not from the back... How else could he have come in?"

Yosuke shrugged."Naturally, I want to say he jumped out of a TV, but that makes no sense either. He probably just kidnapped Hiro somewhere else."

"Oh, yeah. Kujikawa-san did say that Hiro disappears sometimes. So maybe the criminal got him then." Yukiko looked around uncertainly.

Deep in thought, Mogura nodded. "Yeah! That makes sense. Remember how I said that I collapsed and was picked up then?"

"Yeah, so?" Kanji muttered confusedly. "What's that gotta do with anything?"

"That means the criminal is probably using a truck."

"If you're right, they probably keep the TV in there, too." Chie clenched her fists.

"What's this about TVs? Does he, like, beat people up with them or something?"

Everyone stopped to look at Kanji.

"What?"

"Kanji..." Yukiko sighed.

Yui composed herself. "We'll talk about this later."

"Whatever. What we need to do right now is save Hiro-kun. So let's go!" Chie pounded her fist on the table.

"Do we have a plan?" Mogura asked.

"Do we ever have a plan?"  
>"Fair enough."<p>

-...-

"Woah! So this is inside the TV?" Kanji walked around, dumbstruck by the fog and the studio. "Shit. I can barely see."

"Don't worry. We just need to find Ted."

"But man, that's weird. So where are we supposed to find this guy?"

"Yeesh." Yui cringed as she stared at a fallen statue's head. It appeared to be Kujikawa's, but there was too little left of it to tell for sure. "Is he... suicidal?"

"Those statues are bear-ry scary. Their eyes are just so... hollow. Like a Shadow's..." Teddie whimpered. He stepped out from beside the rubble and waddled toward the Investigation Team.

Chie pounded her fist into her hand. "That might make sense, but that also means we've gotta hurry up!"

Teddie sighed. "Once again, my unparalleled cuteness goes unnoticed." Just then, he felt a hand petting his head. He looked up to see Yui smiling at him.

"Don't freak out, Teddie. We're here."

"Sensei! You really do care about me!"

"We all care about you." Yukiko smiled at the bear.

Kanji stepped forward. "Is that... a bear?" his face colored slightly.

"Yep. I'm the one-of-a-kind Teddie!"

"Can... can I feel your fur?" Kanji asked abashedly.

"No." Teddie scrunched up his face. "But you can have these."

"Hey, Shadows incoming!" Chie got in a defensive stance as a troop of gun-toting cowboy figures clomped forward mechanically. They leveled their weapons at the six teenagers.

"Eeep! Every bear for himself!" Teddie ran behind Yui to hide.

"Sweet glasses." Kanji smirked. The original five Persona users stepped up and prepared to attack, but he held out his hand and made them all back down for some reason.

**-BURNING UP!-**

"Alright, let's go! Take-Makazuchi!" Kanji smashed his card with his hand, and the towering skull figure appeared, swinging the lighting-bolt style weapon he carried and flattening the first line of enemies. They fired at him, but he only staggered and swung again.

Yui laughed. "He's a bulldozer! Persona!" Izanagi-jo rushed to help him eliminate the front line.

"Yeah. We might want to stay outta his way..." Yosuke muttered.

Jiraya threw his shiriuken at blazing speed, attracting fire from the crowd. However, they were silenced by Oedipus, who teleported into the fray and swung his sword around before disappearing again. Another group was dealing with Tomoe and Konohana, the former taking the brunt of their fire and fighting hand-to hand, while the latter was scorching the farthest enemies with bursts of flame.

In a short manner of time, the whole group had been dispatched. Kanji took the time to sit down.

"What the hell... That was crazy." He popped his neck muscles. "Awesome, but crazy."

"Yeah. I don't think I've seen this many Shadows in one place before." Chie stretched out before retaking a fighting stance.

Yui tapped her chin. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Hiro-kun is so famous."

"Huh? Why would you say that?"

"Because if Shadows are repressed feelings, then maybe we're fighting the repressed feelings of people toward Hiro-kun."

"If that were true, I think we'd see a freaking ton of girly Shadows." Yosuke smirked.

Yukiko looked down. "Um... he's right. Hiro-kun _is_ nationally famous. If Shadows were based upon everyone, we would have been overwhelmed by now."

"Maybe it's just everyone in Inaba." Chie tapped her chin.

"That makes sense. But that's not what's important right now." Yui turned around. "Ted, get out here."

"Are all the Shadows gone?" Teddie peeked out.

"Yeah. Do you know where Hiro-kun is?"

Teddie hopped out from behind the statue and sniffed the air. "He's that way!" Bounding off, he forced the rest of the Investigation Team to sprint in order to keep up with his cartoon-like strides.

"How the hell is he able to move that fast?" Yosuke panted.

"It is his world. Shadows!" Yui summoned Jack-o-Lantern, causing everyone else to jump back.

Chie and Mogura especially were forced inwards by the searing perimeter that formed around the team. Hopping over the flames, Jiraya blew back the closest Shadows with a gust of wind.

It whipped up some Shadows, but more help was needed. The team rushed into action, proceeding to push the foes back and/or eliminate them. When Teddie gave the signal that the coast was clear, they stopped to rest for a bit.

-...-

Yui took this time to talk amongst her Team.

"So, is everybody doing alright?"

"Yep." Yosuke nodded and smiled. Yui decided to encourage him to talk.

"So how's everything going with you and Junes?"

"Aw, do we really have to talk about work now?" Yosuke looked pained to continue. "I don't want to spend any more than my usual five hours on Junes."

Teddie perked up. "Um, Sensei, what's 'work'?"

"Um, it's when you do something for someone and they pay you money for it. Except it's usually regular and for a set amount of time."

Teddie thought for a second. "Then does that mean that I work for you guys?"  
>"Dude, we're not going to pay you, if that's what you're asking. And what would you spend the money on, anyway?"<p>

"Finding out ways to score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan. Oh, and you too, Sensei-chan."

Yosuke glared at the bear and grabbed him by his cartoon-like ears. "Teddie, we need to talk."

An awkward silence fell over the remainder of the group as Hanamura led the protesting bear away.

-...-

The Investigation Team came up to a set of ornate, coal-black gates. It took the whole team to get them open, but before she had time to rest, Yui was jolted upwards by the sound of two stones smashing together. She looked up and saw a stone fly past her head. In front of her, there was a conveyer belt, upon which rested smaller copies of the stone figure she had previously seen. To her horror, she also saw that one of the figures was not stone at all, but rather Hiro himself. His hands were tied, and he also had a bandanna over his eyes.

Unfortunately for him, there was a machine that dropped a huge block of crushing metal on each stat ue in succession. This produced a mess of flying stone shrapnel and the removal of recognizable features from the statues. Then the remaining rubble fell into a dusty pile. There was no doubt as to what it would do to Hiro if it was not stopped.

The young pop idol struggled to look up. "Is someone there? Please, help!"

A lift next to the conveyer belt lowered, and Hiro's Shadow smirked at the struggling form before him. **"Oh, but I thought you LOVED attention? Isn't this enough?"**

Chie swung her leg around. "We've gotta save him! Persona!"

As the Persona-users summoned their other selves, Shadow Hiro laughed. **"Aw, how sweet. Too bad it's useless."** Pulling his hood down over his face, he flipped a switch and the conveyor belt began to move faster. Hiro began to panic and struggle wildly as the jaws of rocky death got ever closer. Konohona Sakuya twirled around and cast a fire spell. This caused the conveyer belt to violently explode, tossing Hiro off of it and away from the machine. Tomoe grabbed him and flew back over toward the humans. Everyone else rushed the Shadow, but it simply spat a curse and disappeared, along with the machenery and rubble.

"Huh? Where the hell did it go?" Yosuke looked around, while Mogura and Kanji just stood around, confused.

Yui turned to Yukiko. "Good thinking."

Amagi smiled. "It's nothing."

Chie ran up to Hiro, who lay in the hands of her Persona. Yui nodded to Yukiko and followed the sporty girl to help untie Hiro. While Chie untied his arms and legs, Yui carefully took off the bandana. Underneath the damp black cloth, tears were spilling out of Hiro's tightly closed eyes. He began sobbing softly when he sat up.

Pain flared up in Yui's chest to see him in such distress. She leaned forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Hiro slowly nodded. "T-Thanks for coming. I..."

Suddenly, something happened that Yui could never have predicted. Hiro grabbed her shoulders and kissed her, dead on the lips.

Her cheeks flared up and her mind raced with confusion.

Something struck Mogura as odd. "Wait..." All the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

Suddenly, Teddie cried out. "Sensei! Watch out!"

"Guys!" Jiraya dove to shove the Persona-users and Hiro out of the way as a colossal piece of steel fell where they had just been sitting. Yosuke howled in pain and collapsed. Jiraya was now pinned and taking on static. Take-Mikazuchi slowly lifted the deadweight to free his ally, but the wind Persona was still slowed and definitely hurting. As Mogura propped Hanamura up, Yui realized what was wrong.

The pop idol was grinning when any sane human would have been going into spasms of fear. Glowing yellow eyes bore into her as 'Hiro' smiled at her fakely.

"You're not..."

Shadow Hiro laughed and began to stand up. **"Of course. Did you really expect me to try something out of a cartoon? Please."** He snapped his fingers, and part of the floor opened. A stage for a television production lifted up, revealing the true Hiro in his concert wear. He was dazed and confused. "Huh? What are you doing here?" He looked at the Team.

"**To see you perform, of course."** Shadow Hiro appeared behind his human self. **"Don't you like people to pay attention to you?"**

Hiro's gaze hardened, and he fell silent.

"**Oh, that's right... You do, but you don't like saying so... It makes you look like every other self-obsessed pop star out there. You don't want to be a shallow, little ditz who smiles for the cameras and acts all cute constantly. And you know what the sad part about it is?"** The Shadow slunk up and whispered into Hiro's ear. "You are."

Hiro stepped away, but his Shadow grabbed him. **"DON'T TRY TO ESCAPE IT! You are who everybody thinks you are. As much as you like to pretend you live the way you want, that you aren't subject to the stereotypes of actors and singers like you... It's all a lie. You're just pretending... You're just acting!"**

"That... That's not true... I... I..." Hiro looked down and tried to shake his captor.

"**You don't have an answer, do you? That's because you know I'm right!"** The Shadow darkened. **"You want to know how I know?"**

Hiro didn't respond.

"Don't listen to him!" Chie called out.

"Since when has that ever worked?" Mogura asked. "I suggest we pounce on the Shadow when it turns and keep Hiro safe. Simple as that."

"Works for me." Kanji cracked his knuckles and pulled out a folding chair from behind his back.

Yosuke looked at the unusual weapon. "How did you hide something as big as that this whole time?"

Tatsumi glared at his auburn-haired companion. "Because shut up, that's why."

"But, Kanji-kun, that's not a reason." Yukiko looked confused.

"It's not supposed to be." Mogura muttered.

"So why did he say it? It makes no sense."

"It's a figure of speech."

"Oh..." Yukiko grumbled. "It still doesn't make any sense."

"**HEL-LO? POP STAR HERE." **Hiro's Shadow turned to his real self.** "I know all of this because I AM YOU."**

"Now that's just ridiculous..." Hiro laughed nervously. "I'm me... So... You... Can't..."

"**Ahahahaha... But I can. Because even while you frown and make a big show about how you hate people that spread rumors about you, you secretly jump for joy... Because if people are bashing you, then you're hot enough news to sell. "**

"What?"

"**As much as you hate people invading your privacy, you hate being ignored much more. After all, that's why you agreed to become a pop star, isn't it?"**

Hiro's eyes bulged. Shadow Hiro lowered his hood before lifting it again, this time revealing a much younger face. It was still Hiro, but at the age of about eight.

"**Poor, pitiful me... Always sitting alone at lunch... Too shy to talk to people, too small to play sports... too clumsy to paint or draw..."**

Hiro stepped back and shook his head. "Stop this! You aren't..."

"**Too stupid to get honor roll... I just want to be famous for something... I don't care what..."**

Mogura twirled his staff around. "Get ready..."

"_You can't be me!" _Hiro screamed.

That did it. Shadow Hiro's robes dissolved into darkness, shrouding him and his human doppelganger from sight.

"**That's right! I don't need you anymore..." **The human Hiro was thrown like a twig across the room. Luckily, Oedipus managed to snatch him from hitting the floor. With this, the other Persona-users got on guard and prepared to commence battle. But what happened was far from what they expected. Instead of attacking them directly, Shadow Hiro hung in the air, a multicolored, satellite-carrying figure.

"**I CAN BE A BETTER IDOL THAN YOU EVER WILL!"**

Yui nodded and leveled her sword.

"The Shadow has shown his true form! Let's go!"

Twisted laughter bounced around the room.

"**WAITING FOR MY ATTENTION, EH? FINE... I'LL GIVE YOU DEATH!"**

There was only one way to respond.

"Persona!"

-...-

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: TRUE SHADOW**

"_We can't do anything!"_

"_**EAT THIS, FOOLS!**"_

"_Teddie, run!"_

"_I don't want to be alone again!"_


	16. Chapter 15: True Shadow

"**Did you really think you could defeat me?" **Shadow Hiro teleported out of the way of a bolt of electricity and ducked to dodge the shiruken Jiraya had thrown. He held out his hand, and Oedipus, who had just appeared behind the monster, was bound by chains and held back from slitting the Shadow's throat. **"I know everything about you now. Your strengths, your weaknesses, and your greatest fears."** He laughed cruelly before catching Tomoe's blade with a fire spell.

Kanji was trying to hold Yukiko up, as she had almost collapsed. As the main healer, the Shadow had gone after her first, forcing Kanji to put Take-Mikazuchi between him and the resulting ice attacks. "You bastard! I'm gonna plaster you to the side of the wall, ya hear me!"

"**Go ahead and try: Your attacks are easily predictable." **

As if in response, the skeletal Persona hurtled forward, preparing to plow straight through Shadow Hiro. However, Hiro disappeared, causing Mikazuchi to trip over the newly fallen Oedipus.

Yosuke sighed and spun his kunai. "Jiraya!" Healing the rest of the group as much a he could, Yosuke was soon driven to Yukiko's state. "Shit. We can't do anything! Let's get Hiro and get the hell out of here." He stepped back when he saw a spell hover under him, but was unable to escape the resulting electric shock. He was forced to a crouch and looked at Yui.

The grey-haired girl wiped sweat out of her eyes as she continued to change Personas to keep up with Shadow Hiro's wide range of defense. However, ever since the group was 'scanned' by Shadow Hiro's satellite dish, no attacks had connected yet. Chie even got desperate enough to swing a kick at the Shadow, but she had missed completely and tripped.

It seemed as if the Investigation Team were on its last legs. Everyone was tired, hurt, and desperate for a chance to get out of there. Yui looked around for Hiro, finding him lying fast asleep under where his Shadow was hovering. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to sprint to where he was lying. Izanagi-Jo covered her from the front, but when she had come within an arms-reach of Hiro, she was stopped as if by an invisible barrier. Soon, a whirlwind of color swept her back. Tumbling head-over heels, she collapsed onto the ground about twenty feet away, completely drained of energy. Unable to stand, she clenched her jaw and tried to resist the pain. Teddie ran over to her, grabbing her by the arm.

"Sensei, get up! He's still angry!"

"**I WOULD WORRY ABOUT MYSELF, SHADOW."**

Teddie looked confused. "Shadow? What are you taking about?"

A cruel laugh made everyone in the room shiver. ** "I MEAN YOU. YOU ARE A SHADOW. A PART OF SOMEONE'S MIND THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT."** The multicolor satellite dish turned its attention on the bear. ** "DESPITE YOUR CUDDLY APPEARANCE, YOU'RE NOTHING. YOU'RE HOLLOW... TRANSIENT... WORTHLESS. JUST LIKE ME!"**

Teddie clutched at his ears and began to shake violently. "No, that's not true... people care about me..."

"**SO WHAT IF THEY DO? THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE STILL NOT WORTH SUCH AFFECTION. JUST LIKE A STUFFED BEAR, YOU'LL BE THROWN AWAY ONCE THEY LOSE THEIR NEED FOR YOU. "**

"Don't listen to him, Ted!" Kanji cried out. In response, Shadow Hiro hurled an ice spell at him and Yukiko. But when Kanji braced for the attack, Oedipus appeared and caught the spell in his hands. It exploded and caused the Persona to shatter. Mogura collapsed to all fours, clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

"**Now that you're all in place, ****i****t's time for the grand finale!"** Energy hovvering around the edge of the satelite dish converged into the center, making a hum as it did. **"EAT THIS, FOOLS!"**

the bear tried to drag Yui away from the impending attack but she opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Teddie, run!" She winced. "Get out of here while you still can!"

-...-

-Persona 4-

**Episode 14: True Shadow**

_Courage- Daring_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Touching_

_Understanding- Motherly_

_Diligence- Strong_

-Persona 4-

-...-

Teddie looked down at Yui before responding firmly, "No." He gathered up his courage, and then charged directly at Shadow Hiro. "I don't want to be alone again!" he cried. When the Shadow turned the scanner onto Teddie, it let out what sounded like a screech before turning his weapon on the bear. The multicolored beam he fired hit Teddie directly, but the bear continued pushing forward. **"****What? N****OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO****!"**

Slowly bringing his attack up to a sprint, Teddie howled, "I'm going BEAR-ZERK!" Energy crackled around him, hiding him from Yui's view. After about two seconds, a gigantic explosion wracked the whole room.

-...-

"What happened?" she asked. "Is everyone okay?" Sitting up, she looked around the room that she was back in the Shadow world, in a ruined version of Hiro's Shadow Realm.

Yosuke looked down shamefully. "Teddie's not doing so well. After he, well, saved us, he basically went flat."

"Went flat? How?" Yui rubbed her eyes.

Yosuke winced. "It's... hard to explain. Maybe we ought to show you." He gave Yui a hand up, and she was able to look around again. The rest of the Team was either resting or hovering around Teddie.

Yui walked over to him and sighed. "Oh, Teddie..."

The bear's costume had all of its air taken out of it, like he had been steamrolled cartoon-style. Bending himself in half to look up, Teddie attempted a broken smile at Yui. "Sensei! You're awake! I was worried about you, but it looks like you're okay." He tried to stand up, but he wiggled like a paper in the wind before almost collapsing.

Yui caught him and pulled him up straight. "You look a bit worse for wear. Wait... Where's Hiro?"

Hiro sat on the ground, arms around his legs as he glared at the ground in shame. Suddenly, a hand tapped on his shoulder. Turning his gaze up, he could see his Shadow looking down at him with hollow eyes. Horrified for a second, he breathed deeply before standing up to face his other self.

He turned to the Team for a second. "I'm sorry for causing this all to happen. I... I wanted to make myself feel above who I really was. When I was off-stage, I tried to be a different person. I thought that 'Hiro-kun' was just a mask I put on for the cameras. But I was wrong. Trying to separate my onstage self from everywhere else just doesn't work." He took his Shadow's hand in a handshake. "I am Hiro Kujikawa... and Hiro-kun. They're the same person." Nodding, he smiled. "I am you, and you are me."

His persona transmogrified into a satelite-headed nobleman, bowing before his new owner.

_For showing strength of heart and facing your self-deceit with understanding, I have been made manifest from the sea of your soul…_

_I am Sujin, the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

_I art thou… and thou art I._

"All right." Yosuke sighed. "Now, can we please go home? I'm tired as balls!"

"What does your Persona do, Hiro?" Yukiko stepped up.

"What?" Hiro looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, each Persona has powers, so what are yours?"

Hiro drew a deep breath and his Persona formed around him without calling. Sujin's arms wrapped around him, and the satellite dish on top of his head. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide.

"Wait! Something else is here! Everyone, on guard!"

A voice darker than any other Shadow so far crept into the ears of the Investigation Team.

"**It's so comforting, to see your dear 'friends' undergo such transformation. Do you not wish to be like them?"**

Teddie looked around, terrified. "Who... Who's that?"

"**You already know the answer to that. You just choose to shield your mind from the truth. And why not?" **

A monstrous Teddie with glowing yellow eyes formed into place. The whole team, though weary, got on guard.

"**The truth holds nothing but pain... if it even exists. Why not close your eyes instead? Believe what you want to believe, and do what you wish to do. Anything can be yours this way..."**

"No!" Teddie screamed. "I... I want to find the truth... So just shut up! I..." He was at a loss for words.

The Shadow peered down at his original with unfeeling eyes. **"If you want the truth... know this. You are, and always will be, merely a Shadow. Not human, like all of your friends. They have no need or reason to protect you. You cannot leave to see the world outside the Television, and this world will be enshrouded in fog forever."**

Teddie looked down, wobbling to stay on his flattened feet. "Shut.. Shut up... That... That's not true..."

"**Need I spell it out for you? You live a futile, worthless existence... The truth is beyond your reach... and..."**

"I said SHADDUP!" Teddie cried. "You're just making it sound tough because I'm not all that smart! They really are my friends! They are!"

The Shadow was silent for a few seconds. Then more fog gathered around it.

"**Very well. If you will not listen to me..."** He stared at the Investigation Team. **"I will grant you one truth... YOU WILL ALL DIE HERE. You sought the truth, only to find death..."**

Suddenly, Teddie was dragged into the cloud of darkness, and the ground split near the door.

"Teddie!" Yui cried.

"Sen...sei..." Teddie's speech fell to garbling and static.

"Everyone, get ready!" Hiro cried. "I think I can stand in for the bear guy for this fight!" Sujin formed around his owner, ready for a fight.

Suddenly, the darkness cleared to reveal a super-sized version of Teddie, but with a hollow frown on his face and pieces of his costume shattered and crumbling.

"I never thought he had his own problems..." Yosuke grumbled.

Chie looked in pity at the broken being before them. "Is this really what our Ted is feeling?"

Mogura slapped himself on the cheek. "Dammit... We always kept Teddie on the backburner. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Yukiko pulled herself up into an elegant fighting stance and glared at the figure before them. "Then we need to fix that, don't we?"

"Hell yeah! Let's rumble!" Kanji pulled his chair back out and rolled his shoulder around a bit.

Shadow Teddie let out a bone-rattling laugh and rapped his humongous claws on the ground in front of the tremendous pit he sat in.

The redheaded idol gritted his teeth. "He's really powerful on his own, but I sense another presence setting in as well. Watch out!"

"**YOU FOOLS. You really spent all your time worrying about a shadow. Those things you spend all of your time fighting. The being you call teddie is actually a worthless amalgam of human mental leftovers. What exactly are you trying to achieve? The truth? Ha. You're nothing but a bunch of children, here in over your heads, pretending that jumping into an unknown world will somehow show you the true culprit behind these things you call crimes."**

The fiend bared his teeth and slammed the ground, causing it to shake. Most of the Team tripped or fell, weapons falling and scattering on the floor. **"****Y****ou're just the kind of rabble this world doesn't need. Pretending to be heroes while you hide behind masks of your own making. That's all your precious little ****P****ersonas are. Masks. Masks to hide your weakness behind an image of strength. So i will now rid the world of you."**

As he raised his hand to strike, a blade swept across his wrist and his hand slid from his right arm. Yui stood firm as Izanagi-jo returned to her side. Shadow Teddie was almost dumbstruck by this sudden response. As he prepared to regenerate his hand, Yui took the time to speak up.

"Teddie is not worthless, and we are not fighting for nothing. The truth is out there, and we will find it... even if it takes all the time in the world."

"**you speak so surely. Except that you must know you are closing your own eyes. If you find your way through the fog, and if you find this so-called truth, what then? Will not life cease to become worth anything? Your penultimate goal is achieved. What left but to waste your pitiful existences eating and drinking, celebrating your pathetic gain before dying and rotting to nothing?"**

Kanji pulled himself up and raised a defiant fist at the Shadow. "That's bullshit! The truth is enough! I mean, what's life for, if not for finding the truth? Then it just becomes nothing!"

"**exactly. You chase after an impossible goal, searching for something that if you find you will never grasp... The pieces to an eternal script. You eat up knowledge but are left starved. You consume food but still remain hungry. You drink and drink but are dying of thirst! You lead a useless, repetitive existence, with no end in sight, but still run after the torch carried eternally before your grasp! Why? Why would you condemn yourselves to such torture? JUST LIE DOWN, CURSE EXISTENCE, AND DIE!**" His hand reformed in mist. He swung it with all of his might, but it only brushed the Team back.

"The truth is the one thing that will never disappear. Even if the truth is that we're all going to die, that's still a truth! It will be true tomorrow, it will be true ten thousand years from now, and it will be true for all eternity! We search for it to lay ahold of it! To let it carry us until all lies are gone! And once they are, we will be there, seeing ourselves perfectly for the first time! All of our weaknesses will be shed, only our desires for goodness and truth and friendship and love will be left! We won't need to eat or drink anymore! We'll have each other, and the truth! AND THAT'S ALL WE'LL NEED!"

-BURNING UP!-

"ZIODYNE!" A mighty electric pulse jumped from the tip of Izanagi-jo's staff, smashing into the enemy's side. As blue light jumped over his surface, the Shadow roared and writhed in agony.

"**FOOLS! YOU WILL DIE FOR NOTHING! YOU WILL NEVER REACH TRUTH, NOR FEEL WHAT YOU CLAIM ITS REWARDS TO BE!"**

Lifting his paw up again, Shadow Teddie swung directly at Yui, who was unable to bring up her sword in time. A deep gash appeared in the girl's chest, causing life to swirl in slow-motion. Her eyes saw Yosuke turn toward her and cry out. Kanji's Persona sent a wave of electricity through the Shadow, and Chie's struck at it with a huge, glowing gold fist. However, it wasn't enough, as the monster swung yet again at the Team, knocking almost all of them back. Yui's sight went to black, and she fell into a deep sleep.

-...-

Yosuke blinked as he saw his Partner collapse to the ground out of his reach. Tears flooded his eyes and a blue circle formed under him. "You bastard! I'll never let you get away with that!" He threw his knives into the air before jumping up and grabbing them perfectly. "PERSONA!" In a whirl of steel, the Magician's summoning card shattered.

But instead of a regular shiruken-throwing frog man, there was a firey-haired hero that had a bladesaw ring hovering around him. With a glorious backflip, the new Persona threw the whirling blade at Shadow Teddie, and the battle was on.

-...-

"Where am I?" Yui's eyes cracked wide open. She was lying in a bed... It looked like a hospital bed. However, unlike regular hospital rooms, everything was silver. Even looking down at her clothes, she saw she was wearing a silver nightgown. She looked around the bare room. There was just a bed, an overhead light, and a closed door. No sidetable, no window, not even medical tools or a picture or anything. Suddenly, her head pulsed with pain. She closed her eyes again before opening them to see another girl. The girl had short, messy black hair, grey eyes, and was also dressed in silver from head to toe.

"I could ask you the same thing." The girl sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't know how I got here either. But... You seem familiar." She looked frustrated, staring all around he room as if looking for something.

Yui sat up herself. "I look familiar? What's your name?"

_Yui!_

Yui blinked. She could have sworn she heard a voice like Yosuke's just a second ago.

The other girl shrugged and looked at her. "Well, my name is-"

And then Yui woke up to Yosuke shaking her by the shoulders. "Yui! Come on!" As she opened her eyes, Yosuke's shoulders sagged. "Oh, man. I thought you were a goner." He hugged her tightly, causing Yui to wince from her still-stinging wounds and shift uncomfortably. She closed her eyes, too tired to protest, and she was actually quite thankful to have someone to rest on.

Yukiko coughed and indicated for Yosuke to stand aside. When the Magician had laid her down carefully, Konohana Sakuya spread her arms, and pink energy flowed around Yui, restoring vitality to her tired limbs. Dragging herself to her feet, Yui looked around to see Kanji cradling a once-again flattened Teddie in his arms solemnly.

She peered over toward where the second Shadow had been, finding nothing more than some smoking ashes. The rest of the Team must have disposed of the Shadow while she was out... They looked badly battered, though, and Hiro looked as if he would collapse any second. But that's not what grabbed her attention. Walking over, she petted Teddie's head as a mother would.

"He put himself through so much trying to help us... And he's just a Shadow?" Chie muttered. "That doesn't make any sense."

"He can't just be a Shadow." Mogura looked down. "Since he formed his own Shadow, he must be something more... Something human."

Yukiko turned her gaze toward Teddie, calling down more healing abilities. As the bear began to visibly regain strength, Hiro took the time to summon his Persona out again. Something caught his attention, and he cried out.

"Hey! It seems like Teddie has changed!"

Kanji rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah. Yukiko-senpai's healing him, duh!"

"Are you that thick? I mean that he's a little more... There." Hiro licked his lips in anxiety, probabl confused at what had happened.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chie frowned.

"It means that he's giving off the same readings the rest of us are!"

Everyone turned toward Hiro.

"Wait... Does that mean he has a Persona, too?"

Suddenly, Teddie started coughing. Bending upwards, he looked around the room. "What the..." He lay back down. "I'm sorry. I... I hurt all of you, didn't I?"

"Forget that! You scared the shit outta us!" Kanji glared at the bear, his concern paired now with irritance.

"Maybe." Yosuke said. "But you also saved our lives. And besides, having a Shadow is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Well, I know that..." Teddie muttered. "But like he said... I'm just a Shadow... What can I do?"

"You're not 'just' a Shadow, Teddie." Yui said. "That's like saying we're 'just' people." She looked up and beckoned for Kanji to put Teddie down. The platinum blonde obliged, allowing the bear to stand up. "You have hopes and dreams like anyone else, and you stood up to protect us when a lot of people would have turned and run. It's really a testament to your courage, if you ask me. "

Flopping himself around to remain upright, Teddie turned toward where the remains of his Shadow lay. "I have dreams... and hopes... Just like you all. Thinking for a second, he cried out, "I want to keep this world safe! And I want to stop the person throwing people in here!"

"We'll help you do that. I promise." Chie smiled.

When she had finished speaking, the Shadow's pieces turned blue and rose to form a chubby, sphere-like figure carrying a tomahawk missile above his head.

_For showing strength of heart and facing your heart's despair with true hope, I have been made manifest from the sea of your soul…_

_I am Kintoki-Douji, the façade you use to overcome life's hardships._

_I art thou… and thou art I._

After receiving his Persona card, Teddie flopped over, huffing and puffing to try to get to his feet.

"You guys are so nice, keeping with me even when I hurt you." He looked up at Yui. "Why?"

"Because everyone has their own weaknesses, and having friends to help you face yourself is the bet way to do it."

"You guys are my friends?" The bear looked around at the humans around him.

"Well, duh. Why not?" Yosuke smirked.

"Well, um..." Tedde perked up. "Maybe you were jealous of my perfect fur?"

Everyone groaned, and Mogura even facepalmed. "Keep dreaming, Ted."

"Even so, we're all tired, and I really don't want to have another Shadow show up right now." Chie put her fist in her hand. "How about we call this a night, guys?"

"Yeah..." Kanji nodded. "We need to get Hiro out of here. He's probably gonna be in bed for the next few days, 'cause he used his Persona so quickly."

"Yeah. Please..." Hiro dispelled Sujin and collapsed, earning him the attention of the two other girls.

Yui turned to Teddie, wincing before giving him a sad grimace. "Sorry we have to leave you here again... We'll be back soon."

Teddie stomped on the ground, bringing out the between-world televisions before flopping to the ground and doing situps. He looked at Yui with determination as he began what seemed to be an arbitrary exercise routine.

"Don't worry! I'll get stronger so I won't be hollow anymore!" He grunted and managed to lift himself to a ninety-degree angle.

_Oh, Ted. _Yui sighed and the whole team climbed into the televisions one after the other. Hiro had gone dead asleep, so Kanji and Mogura had to drag him out headfirst. Although a fainted Hiro Kujikawa made quite the stir, the worn teenagers managed to get home with few problems.

-...-

"Nobody saw anything on the Midnight Channel, right?" Yui's head sank onto the table. Yesteday was bad enough, but waking up after it was just terrible. Everyone at the table looked like a zombie. (Except Mogura, who generally looked unnaturally gaunt.)

The rest of the Team was without response. After they sat solemnly for about half a minute, Chie tore at her hair and cried out in anger. "Even though we managed to save Hiro, we still haven't learned anything about the kidnappers! It's like nothing happened!"

"It's alright." Yui said. "We're as lost as you are, I'm afraid. I'm thinking we should wait until the Midnight Channel comes on again."

Kanji pounded his fist on the table. "Screw this. We need to find this asshole and put him behind bars."

"Kanji's right." Mogura stood up and began to pace a short line. "We need to cut down on the suspects. After that, we can investigate each of them separately and find out who's the real killer, or at least killer-in-part." He stopped. "Now, I know that I wasn't kidnapped by Adachi alone."

"Why is that?" Chie asked.

"What the hell does the Inaba Police Department need a truck for? Because I'm pretty sure that what pulled up to me was a big freaking car, at least."

"The police don't have anything larger than patrol cars, as far as I know." Yosuke looked down.

"Yeah, you were picked up by them that one time, right?" Chie poked Yosuke in the ribs.

"Hey, shut up! Those were some freaking awesome swords!"

"Swords?" Kanji stared at Yosuke in disbelief.

"But who would have a car like that here?" Yukiko thought. "The only people I've seen with a car like are the deliveryman, and those reporters..." She grumbled off.

"A delivery man?" Yui shifted uncomfortably. "I get some stuff from him..."

"Like what?" Chie perked up.

"Books, mostly. He comes up in this huge white delivery truck, goes in the back, and pulls out a tiny box with the book I bought in it. Seems like a waste of space, if you ask me."

"He gets us our shipments of food... For the Inn, I mean." Yukiko blushed.

A snarl found its way onto Mogura's face. "Yeah. Since I got the cheapest room I could manage, it came with a few drawbacks. Like being woken up in the middle of the goddamn night after studying my ass off on Saturday by that gas-spewing, gear-grinding..." His face fell back to indifference. "...But I digress."

Yukiko looked embarrassed. "Ah. If you have problems with your residence, I could..."

Mogura waved his hand. "No need. Just complaining. Go on, Yui."

"So you think it's a deliveryman? But why? What could someone like that possibly gain from all this? What's his motivation?"

Chie shrugged. "Maybe he's just crazy. Adachi didn't have any reason for this either."

Yui shook her head. "That's not good enough. Nobody would go through this kind of planning if they were crazy. And the fact that they were thrown into the TV World instead of straight-up murdering the people indicates that they had knowledge of the Television World beforehand."

Yukiko blinked. "Wait a minute: In order to know that it killed people, he would have either been the first to throw people in, or he would have had to see Adachi kill someone."

"But even if he saw Adachi kill someone, he would have had to have the power to enter the TV to throw anyone in." Yosuke stirred his drink. "Otherwise it'd be worthless, or he'd report it straight to the police."

Chie let her head fall to the tabletop. "Rrgh. This makes no sense! How can we find out who the killer is if we can't even figure out why?"

"Maybe the 'who' is the reason why." Mogura closed his eyes to concentrate.

"What the hell d'ya mean by that, Senpai?"

"I mean that the motive may be only known to the killer themselves, but the reason may reveal itself by putting ourself in the killer's shoes." He cleared his throat. "Maybe we should return to the connection between the targets."

Chie chewed on her nails. "Well, Ms. Yamano was first, so I guess she was the main connector."

"Saki-senpai, Mogura, and Yukiko all line up, but Kanji and Hiro's kidnappings don't make any sense." Yosuke muttered. "What connects Kanji to everyone else?"

"Ooh! My Inn gets their wares, so I guess that might be something." Yukiko offered.

"Wait! No!" Yui snapped her fingers. "Remember that scarf?"

Almost everyone was confused. "What scarf?" asked Mogura.

"The snowflake one! That was ordered by Ms. Yamano! But who was it for?"

Kanji came to a realization. "Oh, you mean that one we have in front? Ma said it was an order for her boyfriend or something."

Chie sat up. "The news said that Taro Namatame was in an affair with her, right?"

"Yeah. He got ejected from his position as some politician. It was pretty big... So that's a motive. So what else connects him to this?" Yosuke was being surprisingly serious, in Yui's opinion.

"He's the deliveryman!" Yukiko grabbed at her chest. "I remember now... I thought I had seen his face before, but he's a deliveryman in Inaba now!" She began to tremble uncontrollably. "He... I take deliveries from him all the time. I just never..."

"Calm down, Yukiko. Just... Ask someone else to take deliveries next time." Chie put her arm over the other girl's shoulder.

"Shit! So it is him!" Kanji stood up. "Let's take it to that bastard!"

Yui stood up and held out her hand to stop him. "Kanji, wait!"

"What's to wait for?"

"Adachi's place in all this. And Hiro's targeting hasn't been addressed yet." Mogura noted.

"Well, we don't know how he got thrown into the TV World, actually, so we can't actually be sure it's Namatame." Yui looked around at her friends. "And Adachi has nothing to do with Namatame. In fact, I heard rumors that the only thing Adachi's getting charged with is shooting my uncle."

"Really? That bastard."

"So now what? Do we confront Namatame?"

"We need to put everything in order. Which is what we're doing."

"Wait! I've got it!" Yosuke put his hand down on the table and took a breath. "Okay. I think this is what happened. So, Adachi kills Ms. Yamano, for whatever reason. Okay?"

"Alright." Hiro nodded.

"Then Namatame sees her die on the Midnight Channel, like... You know..." He took a deep breath. "So Namatame goes nuts and starts trying to kill people from Inaba randomly to get back at them for it. He gets the TV World power-thing before that, though."

"But wait... Wouldn't he kill people who remind him of Ms. Yamano... Like the people that showed up on the news talking about the incident!" Chie pumped her fist. "Yes! It's perfect!"

Yui cleared her throat."We need to be careful. If Namatame is clever enough to throw this many people into the TV World, he'll be ready for us. After all, he knows his last four murder attempts failed. He know there's someone behind it. And, if I remember that news bulletin correctly, he knows who we are."

Kanji's eyes narrowed to slits. "Creepy sonofabitch. I'm taking packages from now on. And if he lays a single damn hand on my mom, Imma plaster him to the wall, to hell with the police."

"You can't." Mogura rolled his staff around in his hands. "As of now, he's untouchable. We need real, hard evidence that he kidnapped someone. And the police need to get him. Otherwise, we're gonna look like a bunch of crazies taking 'justice' into our own hands."

"Perfect." Chie grumbled. "We try to catch someone we don't know, and now we know him but can't catch him?"

"Essentially, yes. That's a good explanation for what's going on." The blind man looked even grimmer than usual.

"I can't believe this." Yukiko sat up to her full height. "So we're just supposed to let him kidnap someone else? Why can't we do anything?" Her questions were edged off with an indignation that simmered within all the teens.

"We can do something." Everyone turned to Yui. The grey-haired girl's face was determined, her eyes sharp. "We can watch the Midnight Channel. We can keep rescuing people. We can get stronger." She looked around at the Team. "Now that we know how he does things, we can just keep doing what we've always done, but better. He won't be able to stop us. We have seven Persona-users, now including Teddie and Hiro. There's no way that we can lose to anything the TV World can throw at us."

Suddenly, the whole atmosphere rose. Yui felt the determination of the ones she called friends return. She looked around to find them smiling at her, and she smiled too.

After an awkward silence, Chie stood up. "Hold on. I'm gonna get something to eat."

"You mean you're going to get everything to eat." Yosuke smirked.

Yukiko burst out laughing as the kung-fu enthusiast made to decapitate her auburn rival. However, she was interrupted when a store employee tapped on Yosuke's shoulder and whispered something to him. Looking confused for a second, Hanamura waved for the Team to continue before standing up and walking toward the Electronics section.

Shrugging, Yui stood up herself. "I'm getting a drink. Anyone else want one?"

Chie stood up. "I'll go with you."

As they walked to the main food stand, Chie and Yui began to chat.

"So, when do you think Adachi's finally gonna stand trial? I mean, we haven't heard back about it for weeks."

Yui sighed. "It's really hard to tell. After Hiro disappeared, the charges on him are being re-examined. Dojima's really pissed about all the red tape, but he's also glad Adachi's behind bars... Even though that guy was his partner for a while."

"Ooh! You know about the guy who stopped Adachi? I heard he's getting a medal or something."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's like, Sanada or something. He's supposed to be famous for martial arts or something, too. I don't remember."

"He sounds like just the kind of guy you'd be interested in."

Chie turned red. "Oh, stop it! Come on... You're always teasing me and Yukiko about that kinda stuff."

"Well, I can't help it!" Yui giggled. "Your reactions are just too good." She winked. "Besides. It's good to get that stuff in order before summer festivals... I heard those are supposed to open up romances."

"Geez. You really must watch too much TV. We don't do much here. The best we have is a school festival, and that's only for two or three days." Chie rolled her eyes and looked at the drink dispenser, going over its contents.

Yui looked dismayed. "Oh... Really? I've never really gone out during a festival... So I was wondering about stuff like that."

"We still wear yukatas and stuff, but it's not that big of a deal unless you make it. What did you usually do?"

"I don't remember for some reason. I guess I never really did any of that kind of stuff." She frowned. "I never really had any 'real' friends until this year."

Chie looked up after pulling out her melon soda. "Are you serious? You must have had someone..."

"I remember this guy... but only dimly. I spent most of my time alone. No matter how many people I talked to, how many contacts I made... I never felt like I made any friends. I was always.. alone somehow. Like there was a rock between me and everyone else."

Chie looked at her friend wierdly. "Well, um, I guess that'll have changed by the time you go home, right?" She looked at Yui strongly. "We're your friends, right?"

"Yeah." Yui nodded. "It's good to have friends. I feel like I can depend on you guys."

"Then that's good. Oh, yeah. What soda do you want?"

"Ack! I forgot about the soda!" Yui scrambled to count a few coins and place them into the machine. When the soda finally tumbled out, Chie's eyebrows rose. "You too?"

Yui smirked and popped open the melon soda. "Hey, great minds think alike."

Suddenly, a hand gripped her shirt from behind, followed by a muttered apology. Another hand reached out to grab Chie, and the two were dragged into Junes by a familiar visage.

"Yosuke!" Chie pulled against him. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry... I just thought you wanted to see this!"

Brushing past shoppers, Yosuke dragged the two girls to somewhere where the rest of the Team was waiting. When Yui finally got Yosuke to let go of her and turned around, she was stunned.

"Teddie?"

-...-

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: ONE LAST CHANCE**

"Maybe this case will finally be closed."

"Dojima-san, I have something to tell you..."

"The prosecution calls Mitsuo Kubo to the stand."

"**On two counts of murder, this court declares Tohru Adachi to be..."**


	17. Chapter 16: One Last Chance

"Holy crap, Teddie! What the hell are you doing here?" Kanji looked like he was about to have a conniption with the way he was pulling at his hair.

Teddie was sitting in a massage chair, eyes closed and a smile on his face.

Mogura raised an eyebrow. "It's obvious, isn't it? He just exited the same way we do... Through the TVs."

"We know that, you idiot!" Yosuke muttered. "But how are supposed to explain a living costume walking around our side? If he loses his head our whole Investigation Team is gonna go to hell over what happens next."

"That is a problem." Yukiko looked up, thinking. " Oh! Maybe we could get someone to walk around inside the costume while he's on our side, just for safekeeping."

"I think Hisao would be short enough." Yui nodded.

"What? No way! Teddie's like two heads shorter than everyone else here!"

"Yeah!" Teddie looked up. "And no guy is cute enough to get inside me!"

There was nothing but dead silence from every member of the Investigation Team for a full three seconds. Ignoring the tension, the cartoonish bear leaned back in the chair that he was sitting in and purred. "There's nothing like this on my side of the TV!"

"Teddie, you... We need to talk." Yui bit her lip.

-Persona 4-

**Episode 15: One Last Chance**

_Courage- Daring_

_Knowledge- Expert_

_Expression- Touching_

_Understanding- Motherly_

_Diligence- Thorough_

-Persona 4-

-...-

Chie patted the bear on the head. "Okay, first things first. Teddie, why did you come over to this side of the television?"

"I was bored. My side is so empty, and it seems like you have cool things to do over here. That chair is super nice, by the way! It made me feel all relaxed!"

Yui sighed and nodded."Yeah, that's kinda what it's designed to do."

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! I'm no longer a hollow bear! Mwah-ha-ha!"

"No... longer... hollow?" Kanji's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I remembered how my Shadow said I was hollow, but I thought really hard about what it meant by that. So I did situps and focused really hard on being able to score with Sensei-chan, Yuki-chan, and Chie-chan!"

"THAT was why you made a human body?" Mogura slumped in disbelief. "So you could 'score' with girls?"

"Can we please drop the whole 'scoring' thing already?" Yukiko growled.

Yui sighed and let her head drop into her hands. "I'm glad you think so highly of me, Teddie," she muttered dryly.

"Of course, Sensei-chan! You're the best!"

His mouth gaping for a second, Yosuke smirked before gesturing toward empty space."Teddie, I'd like to introduce you to someone. Sarcasm, meet Teddie. Teddie, meet Sarcasm."

Teddie looked around. "Where is she? I don't see her anywhere! Is she cute?"

"I don't see her either, Teddie." Mogura laughed.

"Wait... Oh, yeah! I'm not hollow anymore."

"So what exactly does that mean?" The auburn slacker looked around

"I told you! It means that I'm not hollow!"

"No, you stupid bear! I'm asking what the difference between being 'hollow' and not is."

"Gaah... it's so hot out here."

"Stay on subject, dammit!" Yosuke hissed. "What happened to you?"

"I'm taking this off." Teddie begn to unzip his head, but Yosuke pushed down on him. "Not here! There are kids! If they see an empty costume walking around, it'll scar them for life!"

"But I already told you! I'm no longer hollow!" Teddie shoved Hanamura off of him and finished unzipping his head. When he pulled it off, a lean, pale-skinned boy with blonde hair and blue eyes was sitting inside where there once was nothing. reaching out for a soda, he held it up to his lips and drank from it deeply before sitting back. "Ahhh... that really hit the spot."

Yui's face blossomed into scarlet when she realized something.

"Teddie... Are you wearing any clothes?" She couldn't help but notice the disturbingly bare chest the bear had.

Looking up, Teddie proclaimed in a needlessly loud voice, "Nope! I'm as naked as a newborn babe!"

Mogura put his face in his hands. "If I had any dignity left before, this is where it died."

"What the hell, Ted?" Chie grabbed the bear and dragged it toward the clothes department of Junes, Yukiko assisting her.

"Remind me again why the only people helping Teddie are girls?"

-...-

"I can't believe it. That's really Teddie?"

"The one and only! Can't you tell simply by my immaculate cuteness?"

He was wearing a white dress shirt with a carnation on it, along with a pair of black dress pants.

"You certainly look the part." Yui nodded.

"Aww, you're so kind, Sensei-chan!" Jumping up, he embraced Yui shamelessly. "I'll score with you first, then." he whispered seductively.

"Seriously, stop bringing that up." Yukiko grumbled.

"Get offa her!" Kanji roared, wrenching the Shadow-turned-human off of Yui.

Yosuke cleared his throat. "Now, um, Teddie. When are you planning on going back to the TV World?"

Teddie waved his arms in distress and excitement. "Going back? This place is awesome! There's no way I'm going back there! Not unless there's somebody that needs Teddie to rescue them, of course."

"That's kinda what I thought." Yosuke groaned. "And here comes the real problem. Where are you gonna stay?"

"Well, the team has four guys in it-Not including Teddie, of course- and so he could stay with either Hiro, Kanji, Yosuke, or Mogura."

"Aw, hell no! My mom has enough shit to deal with before counting in an extra guy, too!"

"Well, um, I... I haven't talked to my parents about it yet, but it's not likely to happen with me."

"Hiro lives with his grandma, and asking someone who just joined the Team to take on an extra mouth seems like a bad idea."

"So that leaves Mogura." Everyone turned toward the blind man to gauge his reaction. He merely held two fingers to his temple in concentration.

"I think I'll be able to convince my family to let another person enter the Inn if you two stay in he same room." Yukiko bowed slightly. "We'd be honored to have you, Teddie."

Drawing in a deep breath, the blind man took off his sunglasses. "If he pays for his own rent or we split, fine."

"What? How is poor little Teddie supposed to pay something like that?"

"I'll hook you up with a job at Junes, okay? You can be our mascot or something."

Mogura raised his hand. "Speaking of which, can I join up? I need a source of income that's not my dad."

"Sorry, but... Can you stack boxes?"

"Well, is it a move-stuff thing or a restocking thing?"

"Just moving from shipping vans to storage areas."

"I can do that."

"We can talk about that later."

"Yeah." Yui nodded. "Until then, Teddie, you're gonna have to stay in the TV World."

Yukiko smiled. "I'll tell you when I've made the arrangements."

"If it's you, Yuki-chan, I could wait forever!"

"Why don't you, then..." Mogura growled. "...I'm perfectly fine without a roommate."

"Eep! Wait! I'll wait... um... As long as it takes! But not too long! I want to stay here!"

-...-

July 11, 2011

Amagi Inn

-...-

The Investigation Team had gathered at the Amagi Inn in order to watch the trial of Adachi, which was being recorded live for Inaba due to its association with the small town. It was a rarity to see such things aired in Inaba, but this time, they made an exception.

Additionally, Hiro had returned to full strength soon after the Team had recovered him. His grandmother had been doting on him that day, but released him to go with the Investigation Team 'for a little while'.

"Now, Mr. Adachi. If you could tell us more about why, in fact, you told this young boy about a so-called 'TV World'."

"Well, Mr. Prosecutor... I was told, by an anonymous hint that there was something going on with televisions at midnight. Apparently, the people that died were shown on television before they actually ended up dying. I think that's where the rumor of the 'Midnight Channel' got started."

"And what is this 'Midnight Channel'?"

"Well, it's supposed to show your soulmate on television if you watch it at exactly 12:00 AM on a rainy night. But, apparently, the guy who talked to me said that he saw someone dying on it."

The prosecutor stared hard at Adachi. "Well, what exactly did he say?"

"The guy said that he saw Ms. Yamano dying, and he wanted to put a tip out to the police. I told him the police wouldn't go after such stories without evidence. When Ms. Yamano did turn up dead, I ended up watching the Midnight Channel myself, seeing if he was telling the truth."

"And what happened?"

Adachi shrugged. "Nothing showed up."

"Fucking liar." Kanji growled.

Chie frowned and rocked back and forth."Maybe he really didn't see anything."

"He's trying to stay consistent." Mogura leaned back. "Why wouldn't he have reported something if he really did see people show up?"

"So who was it that talked to you?" The prosecutor looked up. "The anonymous tip, I mean?"

Adachi's pupils widened visibly before he continued to speak. "Well, um, I don't know. He... He never told me his name... I, um... didn't write down the number... I thought he was crazy."

"So the speaker was male?"

"Um, yeah. I think he was."

"So, back to the original topic. Why did you tell Mr. Kubo that he had been 'throwing people into' the TV World? Surely that would require knowledge of the mechanic of killing?"

Sweat began to bead on Adachi's face. "Well, um, I thought, if, well, someone was gonna use a TV to kill someone, you'd, like, throw them through the screen or something, right?"

"But why would someone throw another person at the television? Could the Midnight Channel not be a way for the criminal to tell the public whom his next criminal would be?" The prosecutor stepped forward, confident he had Adachi cornered. "And why would there be a world inside the television?"

Mogura clapped his hands. "Good job on show of the prosecution. Adachi has a chess fork ahead of him."

"Like what?" Yukiko turned to him.

"Either he confesses to know about the TV World, or he confesses to being a murderer." A grim smile showed up on the Hermit's face. "Maybe this case will finally be closed."

Onscreen, Adachi looked deeply distressed. Obviously, he was on the hot seat in front of all of Inaba and possibly the entirety of Japan.

"Even if he delays with the TV World route, the fact that he knows how this stuff is done makes it impossible for him to explain himself out of this." Yui muttered.

"I demand that you answer my question, sir. Why did you speak to Mr. Kubo in such a way?"

"I... I don't know..." Adachi began to breathe quickly and drum his fingers on the witness stand. "I... May I please step down?"

"Mr. Adachi. You have neither explained why exactly you attempted to frame Kubo, nor why exactly you continue to bring an urban legend into all of these explanations of yours."

"Your Honor, the prosecution is badgering the witness. Please, give me some time to gather the evidence."

The judge sighed and pounded his gavel. "This session is closed. Adachi will stay in police custody. You have two days to gather evidence, as I believe this trial is little more than due process. Are we understood?"

The defense attorney swallowed and bowed. "Yes, your Honor."

Dropping the gave, the judge motioned for the bailiff to secure Adachi.

"Shit. I thought this would end it." Yosuke grumbled before turning off the livefeed.

"I know, man! Tsk. But I guess you need to give everyone a chance, right?" He looked at Yui, who blinked and tilted her head at him.

"Um, yeah... I guess. It's just..." She looked down. "When he shot Dojima, Nanako looked like she was gonna die." Her eyes turned steely cold.

"Really?" Hiro asked. "Man... She's just a little kid."

Chie gave her grey-haired friend a thumbs up. "Don't worry. That guy's gonna get what's coming to him."

Yui's eyes glossed over. "I hope so."

-...-

Ryotaro coughed as he lit up another cigarette. _I need to kick this shit._ He thought. _It's really not healthy, and I don't wanna give Nanako the wrong idea. Or Yui, for that matter._

He looked out into the night outside the courtroom, and his shoulders sagged. _Goddamit! This case has screwed over so much of my damn time. I should be at my home, in bed instead of this shit. _He kicked a nearby rock angrily, sending it scuttling along the pavement. _I'm supposed to be Nanako's father, and instead I'm here, leaving Yui stuck taking care of her and herself and dealing with school to boot._

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around. "What is it?"

-...-

"Now listen up!" howled Morooka. "Despite all of this stuff about the murders, you're not getting off on anything, so don't you even THINK about slacking off." He picked up a piece of chalk. "Now, can any of you lazy bastards tell me what the name of the anima of desire is called?"

There was a bit of shuffling and mumbling before Yukiko raised her hand.

"Sir, the name for the first Anima is desire- I mean, Eve." Then something occurred to her. "What are the names for the four Animi- the male ones? You never talked about that."

Mooroka rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's bad enough teaching you brats the four female ones when you can hardly remember them, but, whatever." He turned to write on the board. "I better hear you taking notes, you hear me?" After he was sure they had pulled out their notebooks, he turned back to the board. "Well, Jung, though he did come up with all of this Persona and Anima shit, was too lazy to come up with the names for the male versions, because he claimed they were more 'random' or some crap. So I have my own names for the four levels of Animus.

"The first one is Adam, which is, duh, the counterpart to Eve in the Bible. Adam represents physical power- Basically, the fact that men do things. This explains your lack of appreciation for my teaching, because you think I just talk to hear myself talk."

"...Except that you do..." grumbled Yosuke.

"I heard that, ya brat! Do you wanna come up here and teach some psychology? Huh?"

"No, sir! I'm sorry, sir!"

"That's right! Now shaddup!" He cleared his throat. "The second level of Animus is the perception of a man's capacity for planning- when she finally gets off of her high horse and realizes that men have brains, too. I would normally call this the Bushi, or Samurai, but since all of those damn movies and video games show samurai as idiots with katanas, I call it Alexander, after the famous Greek general who wound up dead after drinking too much. Apparently his regular planning wasn't that good.

"Now, the third is more along the lines of someone who teaches, like me, except that it's more like speaking- An orator, if you will. When I was in school, the guy they associated this one with was 'Lloyd George', some politician or something. The fact that I can't name anybody like him in politics nowadays is just more proof as to how this country is going down the drain.

"The fourth and final one is the Sage, which represents wisdom, like Sophia of the Animia. Technically, I guess we could call this one Socrates, after that Greek guy who everyone calls really smart."

Yui wrote, and wondered where she herself was at in the level of Animus.

-...-

"Your Honor, It is almost certain we are dealing with a quite insane child here. It would not be beyond reasonable suspicion to consider Mitsuo Kubo responsible for the two deaths, rather than the defendant."

"And what evidence do you have to oppose this theory, Prosecutor?"

"Well, Your Honor," the state attorney smiled grimly, "On the death of Saki Konishi, I found out where she was last seen before she died." He held up a file.

Yosuke visibly tensed up, and his eyes widened. Hiro looked at him and then signaled to Yui his confusion. Yui simply mouthed that he should forget about it, but Hiro remained confused.

Pulling out a piece of paper, the prosecuting lawyer cleared his throat and began to dictate. 'Saki Konishi was last seen at the Inaba Police Station, at which she was being interviewed by Tohru Adachi about her witness to the body of Mayumi Yamano."

Everyone on the Inaba side of the TV went dead silent.

"No way..." Chie muttered.

"That son of a bitch...So he did do it!" Hanamura roared, standing up. "Reasonable suspicion my ass... I..." Hanging his head in his hands, he sat down with his face to the ground. The rest of the Team was too stunned to speak.

"The defense objects. This fact is simply a correlation, not a causation. In fact, Mrs. Konishi had plenty of time to speak on the body before her death."

"The prosecution would like to remind the defense that there may have been a particular fact about the state of the deceased that any murderer would have wished to prevent from being revealed."

Adachi's face twisted into a strange smirk. "Funny you should say that. I remember telling my superior Dojima that I thought that was why the killer attacked Sak- Ms. Konishi, as well."

"Regardless whether or not you said that, you still had the motive and the opportunity to attack Saki. Also, something that I seem to have forgotten." The prosecution went back to his bench and shuffled through a file to reveal another slip of paper. "This record holds that you were on guard at the Amagi Inn the day Mayumi Yamano died."

He handed it to the judge, who nodded. "I will accept this as evidence. Now, Mr. Adachi. You have been associated quite closely with the death of the two victims, in a way no other person has. I believe I will now hand down my verdict, unless the defense has any objections."

The defense attorney stood up and wiped his brow."Your Honor, Mitsuo Kubo could still be a possible suspect. You can't sentence a man to prison in another's place! Please, the defense would like proof that my client did, in fact, commit the murders."

"The prosecution maintains that Adachi was the last person in the presence of Saki Konishi, as proved by video recording of the door. The paper I showed you earlier records and confirms this fact, as I did not wish to waste this court's time by watching five hours of video unnecessarily."

With this, the judge brought down his gavel. "Enough. I believe the total of evidence has been presented, and I will now lay down my verdict. On two counts of murder, this court declares Tohru Adachi to be guilty of these actions, and he will be charged with the mandatory 55 years of imprisonment total in conjunction with the charge of assault on a fellow officer of the law through use of firearms. Baliff, take Mr. Tohru into custody." The judge sighed. "Court is dismissed."

"Thank God." Yukiko's shoulders slumped in relief. "That's finally over."

"Indeed. I think we can all sleep well from this point forward. Speaking of which..." Mogura stood up. "I'm gonna go take a nap."

Kanji nodded. "Yeah. I'm going home. I've gotta think about some stuff." He bowed and left.

"Why's everyone leaving so quickly?" Chie asked.

Yui looked around. The only ones left were her, Chie, and Yukiko. "Where's Yosuke?"

"Huh?" Chie asked. "I think he walked off or something. Why?"

"He didn't say anything. That's not like him."

"I guess it was a bit awkward." Yukiko muttered. "It must be like with Mogura and Kanji."

"I'm going to find him." Yui jogged out the door, leaving her two friends to wonder.

"Do you think she..." Chie turned to Yukiko before grimacing.

Yukiko sighed and nodded solemnly.

"What's going on?" Hiro asked.

"Yosuke lost a close friend of his during the murders."

"You mean Saki Konishi?"

Yukiko nodded. "I don't think he would stop investigating unless Saki-san's death was put to rest."

-...-

"You-!" Adachi lunged at Mitsuo before getting pulled away fiercely by the baliff and another police officer. "How come brats like you get to walk around free, huh? Huh? You did it, you little bastard! I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!" He grabbed at the unmoving boy, managing to grip onto his arm before the baliff dragged him out and away from court.

-...-

"Yo." Yosuke threw a rock across the Samegawa before turning back to his friend. "What's up?"

"You walked off." Yui stood beside him. "Why?"

The auburn slacker chewed on his lip. "I had to think." he muttered.

"About what?" Yui put her hand on his shoulder.

"You know damn well what!" Hanamura burst out, jerking away from her grip. Seeing how alarmed Yui was, he sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just..." He swallowed, picked up, and chucked another rock into the river.

"It's about Saki, isn't it?"

Yosuke stopped mid-throw, letting the rock he was carrying fall to the ground. "Yeah. It is." He sat down, putting his arms around his knees. "I just..." He looked down. "I got to Inaba six months before you did. And... Everyone in the shopping district hated me. Because of Junes. They were losing money. Badly. But... Saki didn't hate me. Or, at least, that's what I thought."

Yui sat down beside him. "Did something happen between you two?"

Yosuke nodded. "Remember when I faced my Shadow?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"It turns out she always loathed me, for letting Junes destroy her parents' business." He looked into the sky. "She... she said I was always bothering her, that I was trying too hard to be nice."

"She said that? When?"  
>Yosuke looked back down. "Right before my Shadow came out, I... I heard her speak. I think... the place I faced my Shadow... Was the same place she died."<p>

Yui was stunned. To have a friend say that after smiling to your face for months must have been brutal for him. "I... I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."

"You don't need to say anything." Yosuke muttered.

'What?" Yui blinked.

"I think that, if there's anything wrong with you, it's that you talk too much." Yosuek picked up a stone and chucked it at the river. "You always need to say something, and, well, sometimes, you just have to listen." he smirked. "I guess you could say the same thing about me, too."

"Your big mouth does seem to land you in some tight spots."

"Hey! That's exactly what I mean, though. I'm always coming up with some witty-ass comeback, and so are you. I think, both of us... Just need to let some things be." He sighed. "Still, I wonder what would have happened if she were still alive."

Yui opened her mouth, but stopped herself and just laid on her back.

The two of them were silent, listening to the river run by them. There seemed to be a tension between them, though, and Yui found it necessary to speak.

"Well, what should we do now? Should we go back?"

"Yeah, I guess." Yosuke sighed.

-...-

Mitsuo stared at his television, blank and dark. His video game console had been removed, leaving an empty space below the box television. Staring with hollow eyes at the colorless screen, Kubo listened to the clock tick off. The whole room was empty save for scattered clothes, a bed, and the television.

Suddenly, static hissed into existence. As Mitsuo stared at the screen, he saw a familiar figure appear. Glowing red eyes stared into his soul, and fire blazed in the background.

_I art thou... Thou art I... Existence is meaningless... Don't you agree?_

"What are you?" Kubo mouthed just loud enough to be audible. Suddenly, his head was wracked with pain.

_Your pathetic realm is filled with nothing but pain. But here, you can have whatever you want. You can do whatever you want. You can be whomever you want._

Hissing laughter echoed through the teenager's room.

A smile creeping onto his face, Mitsuo nodded and stepped forward.

"Really?"

_Those video games you play? Here they are real. You are the hero, and the princess is yours for the taking._

"The princess..." He looked at his feet, but his grin simply grew wider.

_Doesn't that sound nice? But those fools... They would steal it away from you. _

The grimy boy looked up in surprise. "You mean those... people? The ones that kept me from saving Yukiko?"

_Yes. Even now, they wish to end the Midnight Channel. You can make your dreams reality here... And they would destroy that._

_Because they are jealous of you. They know that if you come here, you'll have all you ever wanted. __They act SO superior, going on about the 'truth'. What garbage. The truth is whatever you make it. __So what do you want, Mitsuo Kubo? Will you join me?_

Mitsuo reached out, touched the television screen... And found that his hand passed right through.

_Join me... Forget this dismal life you lead, and take your future into your own hands. In the Midnight Channel, no-one can tell you what to do._

**END CHAPTER**

**NEXT SCENT: A BIT OF REST?**

"_How about a party to celebrate?"_

"_I feel like there's still something wrong."_

"_Despite the evidence, this case is not yet over."_

"_I don't sense anything in the TV World."_


End file.
